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GE Free BC is a 100 per cent volunteer run NPO. And we need your help. If you have time, want to work with an energetic group of great humans, and are interested in helping to create a better and healthier world (especially here in BC) then… WE NEED YOU!
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Posted in Food Security
Tagged CBAN, GE Free BC, GM Salmon, Membership, Newsletter, Support Bill C-474, Volunteer
If you live in Victoria please sign the petition at the site below. If yo don’t live in Victoria please pass this one to someone who does. A GE Free zone resolution will be discussed at Victoria City Council soon.
Posted in Food Security
Liberals committed to evidence-based policies
In mid-September, one of our volunteers emailed a pair of questions to candidates in all 42 BC electoral districts. These are the two questions that were asked of each candidate include:
Previously we posted the responses and positions of the Conservatives, Greens and NDP. In today’s final blog, we bring you the positions of your Liberal Party of Canada candidates running in BC.
Dr. Hedy Fry, Liberal Party candidate in Vancouver Centre framed the problem and solution this way: “At the heart of this matter is the consumers’ right to know just what it is they are consuming. The government’s failure to recognize this right is, in my opinion, a major driving factor in the public’s distrust in GMOs. I believe that information provided to Canadians should be accurate, understandable, informative – not false or misleading – and verifiable. … I fully support the mandatory labeling of GE/GMO foods, a position I have held since my time as a physician and Chair of the BC Medical Association Council on Health Promotion.”
Next door in Vancouver Granville, Liberal Party candidate Jody Wilson-Raybould stated that “A Liberal government will ensure that Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have the resources they need to ensure Canadians’ food is safe. All decisions we make, particularly those that affect the safety of Canadians, will be based on science and facts. We will ensure the federal government rebuilds its capacity to deliver on evidence-based decision-making. I will work with the Liberal party and the federal government to ensure that we study all the evidence on mandatory labelling and implement the policies that evidence demands.”
On the topic of pesticides, Jessie Adcock, Liberal Party candidate in Port Moody-Coquitlam stated that “A Liberal government will continue to stringently regulate pesticides to ensure they pose minimal risk to human health and the environment… Furthermore, we will continue to work with other governments to align the processes used to regulate pest control products and ensure the protection of Canadians’ health and our environment.”
Brad Layton, Liberal Party candidate in Skeena-Bulkley Valley was the first to send the following compilation of Liberal Party positions on the subject of GMOs:
“Access to sufficient, safe, healthy, adequate food is a fundamental human right. A Liberal government will always prioritize protecting the health and safety of Canadians. We will work consultatively with provincial and territorial governments, Aboriginal organizations, community groups, and producers to ensure that Canadians have access to healthy, affordable food. The CFIA must be able to depend on adequate funding by our government to sustain its programs to safeguard the health of Canadians. A Liberal government will ensure that the food you buy in the grocery store is safe.
Liberals stand for strong, evidence-based scrutiny of our food supply chain and fully agree that the government must always act to protect consumers and farmers when making these decisions. The federal government—the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in conjunction with Health Canada— is responsible for keeping Canadians safe by monitoring and reviewing our food products, as well as the policies and science that support our food safety system. Unfortunately, these departments have suffered multiple cuts under the Harper Conservatives, which undermine the government’s ability to safeguard our food supply. Of particular concern are reductions in the number of frontline food safety workers—including researchers and scientists who are tasked with evaluating food products.
We have also heard the concerns of farmers and concerned citizens about GMOs, and the effects of cross-contamination on the survival of non-GMO and organic crops must be addressed in a manner that effectively balances the needs of farmers, trading partners and consumers. Biotechnological innovation has been, and will continue to be, crucial to agricultural competitiveness and productivity. However, the growing prevalence of GMOs should not come at the expense of the viability of non-GMO and organic strains of crops. A Liberal government would place a moratorium on the approval of Roundup Ready Alfalfa until a comprehensive study is completed on its impact on non-GMO and organic strains.
The strengthening of our export markets is absolutely critical for the health of the Canadian agricultural sector, which is why we must balance innovation with the best interests of our farmers and consumers.
A Liberal government will ensure the federal government rebuilds its capacity to deliver on evidence-based decision-making. We will study all the evidence on mandatory labelling and implement the policies that the data demands.”
We at GE Free BC hope that these past 4 blogs outlining the four national party’s response to our questions about GMO’s in Canada have been helpful to any of you who expect the federal government to play a strong role in food security, health protection, and a sustainable food system.
Echoing Food Secure Canada’s slogan, we encourage you to “Eat. Think. Vote.”
NDP’s pan-Canadian Food Strategy
In mid-September, one of our volunteers emailed a pair of questions to candidates in all 42 BC electoral districts. These are the two questions that were asked of each candidate include:
Unfortunately, the questions were emailed only to Conservative, Liberal and Green candidates because all three of these parties included on their national campaign website easily retrievable email addresses for each of their candidates. For some unfathomable reason, the NDP didn’t.
Fortunately, someone pointed us to a policy document entitled Everybody Eats, which is the NDP’s proposed pan-Canadian Food Strategy. Today’s blog will highlight components of this NDP strategy that relate to the two questions we asked the other candidates.
Here are some of the relevant features from the NDP Everybody Eats publication which can be found at http://xfer.ndp.ca/2014/food-strategy/FoodStrategy-EN-PRINT.pdf
Stay tuned. Tomorrow, in our fourth and final blog on the federal election, we will review the responses and positions of the Liberal candidates.
Echoing Food Secure Canada’s slogan, we encourage you to “Eat. Think. Vote.”
Green Party candidates urge precaution, safety testing, and labelling of GMOs
In mid-September, one of our volunteers emailed a pair of questions to candidates in all 42 Federal Electoral Districts in British Columbia (BC). Yesterday, we posted the responses (or lack thereof) received from the Conservative candidates running in BC. Today we bring you the views of your Green Party of Canada candidates running in BC.
These are the two questions that were asked of each candidate:
The Green Party of Canada has had a focused, unambiguous position on genetically engineered organisms (GMO) for several years. This is not a made-for-election platform. It is a one-pager worth reading: http://www.greenparty.ca/en/policy/vision-green/economy/genetic-engineering
Some key excerpts from their Vision Green:
In response to our two questions, these are a few highlighted responses from the Green Party of Canada’s candidates running in BC:
Chris George, Green Party candidate in North Okanagan-Shuswap wrote: “In addition to banning neonicotinoid pesticides, we will ensure the quality and wholesomeness of food by strengthening the monitoring of all pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, growth hormones, non-therapeutic antibiotics, and insecticides in food production, processing and storage, with the goal of an orderly reduction in detectable residues of these substances until they reach undetectable limits.”
Kyle Routledge, Green Party candidate in New Westminster – Burnaby is “quite concerned with the lack of regulation regarding GMOs and I feel that much more research must be conducted to determine what the potential long-term implications may be from ingesting GMO food.” This is echoed by Peter Tam, Green Party candidate in Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge, who “definitely wants an independent and science-based assessment of GMO and GEO and health effects.”
Robert Mellalieu, Green Party candidate in Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola would “increase education in schools and through publicly funded advertising about the dangers of chemical foods and the benefits of real food.”
Richard Hosein, Green Party candidate in Fleetwood-Port Kells adds that “We must end federal subsidies to the GMO industry” and “the Green Party will protect and promote the farmer’s right to save and use non-GMO seed without penalty.”
Over on Vancouver Island, Glenn Sollitt, Green Party candidate in Courtenay-Alberni would “support the creation of designated organic agricultural areas that are GM, GE and Roundup free and are showcased as such.” Frances Litman, Green Party candidate in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke summarized the Green Party approach to Canadian agriculture policies as: “reduce the dependence on chemical inputs, rebuild and protect natural soil fertility, value quality produce and support local economies, reduce waste and increase the number of farm families.” Jo-Ann Roberts, Green Party candidate in Victoria added that “We will develop a National Agricultural and Food Policy that would improve food safety and boost nutritional health, provide food security and support local food markets, reduce corporate control of the food supply, improve agricultural research, stop the loss of agricultural land to development, support agricultural stewardship, and assist farmers in climate change adaption.”
Last words on this topic are from Elizabeth May, Green Party national leader, and candidate in Saanich-Gulf Islands who states that “we believe that local organic agriculture must play a role in mitigating climate change, providing food security, restoring soil health, improving human health, protecting water, and providing sustainable livelihoods for citizens. We must restructure our agricultural markets to sustain farming and provide farm families with a fair share of the consumer food dollar. We want to expand local small-scale agriculture and support a rapid transition to organic agriculture rather than subsidizing costly agro-chemicals, industrial food production, and genetically modified crops.”
Several Green Party responses quoted Dr. Lynne Quarmby, Green Party candidate in Burnaby North-Seymour who has said: “The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada are not protecting us from the risks of GMO crops. It is not clear to me that they could protect us, even if properly resourced and mandated. What can be done is to require mandatory labeling of all GMO foods. Canadians armed with knowledge when they shop can regain control of the food that sustains us.”
Thank you for reading. Don’t forget to stay tuned as posts over the next two days will review the NDP and Liberal positions on GE crops and foods in Canada.
Echoing Food Secure Canada’s slogan, we encourage you to “Eat. Think. Vote.”
Conservative candidates in BC refuse to answer our GE questions
In mid-September, one of our volunteers emailed a pair of questions to candidates in all 42 Federal Electoral Districts in British Columbia (BC). Starting today, over the next four days, we will give you a summary of what we know about the federal party policies and individual candidate views, one party per day, starting with the Conservative Party.
These are the two questions that were asked of each candidate:
Today’s will be a short post. Forty-two (42) emails were sent to Conservative candidates in BC. Two (2) emails were returned because of invalid email address. No response was received from any of the other 40 Conservative candidates.
Stay tuned. Other candidates have indicated that they care about the safety of what we eat and about the consequences of unregulated agricultural biotechnologies. On each of the next 3 days, we will summarize the positions of the federal Greens, New Democrats, and Liberals (the order was randomly selected).
Echoing Food Secure Canada’s slogan, we encourage you to “Eat. Think. Vote.”
Posted in Food Security
A speakers tour across the Pacific Northwest will now conclude with events in Vancouver and Victoria. BC on Oct 21 and Oct 22.
The events will feature international expert on the environmental risks of genetically engineered trees Dr Ricarda Steinbrecher of the group EcoNexus in the UK. Dr. Steinbrecher will be accompanied by US activists Ruddy Turnstone of the Global Justice Ecology Project and Mark Des Marets, co-founder of Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering.
Wednesday October 21, 2015. 7:00-9:00PM
Unitarian Church, 949 W 49th Ave. Vancouver, BC
Thursday October 22, 2015. 7:00-9:00PM
Room A102, David Turpin Building, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
Genetically engineered (GE, also called genetically modified) trees threaten the biodiversity of native forests, are false solutions to the climate change crisis, and can have unpredictable and irreversible consequences. The Pacific Northwest is key as it hosts some of the leading global research on GE trees. This includes research on GE poplar trees conducted at the University of British Columbia. The first GM fruit tree in Canada – a GM non-browning apple – was also approved and planted this year. Join us to discuss the dangers of GE trees.
Events organized by the Global Justice Ecology Project, Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering, the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), the Society for a GE Free BC, and the UVic Environmental Studies Student Association.
For more information: Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, cell 613-809-1103 or coordinator@cban.ca
http://www.cban.ca/trees or nogetrees.org
Posted in GE Trees
One of the seminal movies on GE foods.
Posted in Food Security
You may remember the Seralini study of a couple of years back which demonstrated potential linkages between GE crops and health including cancer.
A $23 million study has now gotten underway to test the effects of GE crops on health – this will be a major systematic independent study of GE crops and much needed, as currently (believe it or not) GE crops are approved in North America based on the evidence presented by the companies that make these crops. In other words, there is no independent testing of these foods that many people are consuming unknowingly.
Posted in Food Security
Through 2015 CBAN will be releasing a series of state of the art reports on GE crops as part of the national GMO Inquiry in Canada.
The first report outlines where GE crops are grown, check it out at:
Posted in Food Security
The Canadian government announced approval of the non browning GE apple at the end of last week. This is no surprise as the US government also approved the apple a few weeks back, and US and Canadian health authorities usually approve GE applications.
But – many GE crops are approved and don’t make it to the market. If you want to stop the GE apple getting to market then go to our campaign page at https://gefreebc.wordpress.com/apple/
Go to your local store and ask them to commit to not selling the GE apple, and write to our Minister of Agriculture asking him to carry out the review of the likely impact of the GE apple on the BC apple industry – something he promised to do in 2012 but a promise he hasn’t kept as yet. For more details click the link above.
The World Health Organisation, which sets norms and standards for our health, has published a paper in the Lancet revealing that glysophate probably causes cancer.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/21/roundup-cancer-who-glyphosate-?CMP=share_btn_link
Glysophate is the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Round up (TM) which is the most widely used herbicide in the world and sprayed extensively on GE crops.
UN organisations like the WHO are very cautious about publishing findings, so we need to take their findings very seriously.
Help us stop GE crops and glysophate – you can become a member of GE Free BC by clicking on the donate button on the home page of our blog.
Loblaw’s, Canada’s largest food distributor, has responded to public requests by saying it will not buy the GE apple. This adds to food distributors and stores across the country that have said they will not buy the GE apple.
If you want to learn more about our campaign against the GE apple, see https://gefreebc.wordpress.com/apple/
Many thanks to Country Grocer, the Vancouver Island and Saltspring supermarket, which has committed to not selling the GE apple. Country Grocer has seven stores in in Victoria (Esquimalt, Royal Oak), Ganges, Nanaimo (Bowen Road, Chase River), Lake Cowichan, and Cobble Hill.
Close to 100 stores across BC have now committed to not selling the GE apple.
Do you want to help out? If you have a local grocery store that you think would sign on to not selling the GE apple, please go to https://gefreebc.wordpress.com/apple/ and download the retail letter from HANS (our partner agency in this campaign) and take it into the store and get it signed.
If no stores stock the apple, investors will pull the plug on it, as they did with the genetically engineered pig that was being developed at the University of Guelph.
Here’s your chance to make a difference.
Please see the media release from the BC Fruit Growers Association who strongly oppose the introduction of the GE apple which was approved by the US government a couple of days back. Fruit growers across Canada and the US have all said the same, so why is the apple being developed?(Kelowna) – The BC Fruit Growers’ Association stated its ongoing opposition to the approval of Genetically Modified (GM) apples in Canada, despite the approval of the GM “Arctic” Granny Smith and GM “Arctic” Golden Delicious in the US today ( http://www.aphis.usda.gov/stakeholders/downloads/2015/SA_arctic_apples.pdf ). The “Arctic” Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are genetically engineered to modify the gene which controls apple browning. When cut, the apple does not brown, mainly resulting in cosmetic benefit and enhancing the efficiency of fresh cut apple processors. Other apples are available which are naturally slow to oxidise, or brown, when cut. The fruit grower association (representing 520 commercial tree fruit growers in the Okanagan, with BC annual farmgate value of apples of $45.3 million) has opposed the approval of GM apples in Canada due to possible market backlash that could impact all apples. “We regret that the US is approving the Arctic Granny Smith and Arctic Golden Delicious. The apple is considered a pure, unadulterated product, similar to milk. In a 2012 national survey of consumers, 71% said they agreed that there should be categories of food that should not be genetically engineered. Our members would like the apple market to remain free of GM apples,” said Steele. The BCFGA notifies the Canadian public that the situation is, as follows: the Arctic Apple is not approved in Canada at this time. – it would take at least 4 years before any significant volume of arctic apples were available in the marketplace, and even then the volume would be – it is only two varieties of Arctic apple which are are approved in the US at this time Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. “If consumers want to be perfectly assured that they are not eating a GMO apple, then avoid purchase of US Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples . We will advise the public when the product is approved in Canada, and seek to isolate any damage that the apple will cause in the marketplace by advising consumers how to continue purchasing apples while avoiding the Arctic Apple, if they so desire. We would prefer if the Canadian government would place a moratorium on the Arctic Apple, until we see the result of the market experiment in the US,” concluded Steele. The BCFGA represents 520 commercial tree fruit growers in BC and the Fédération des Producteurs de Pommes du Québec represents 555 commercial tree fruit farms in Québec
Press Release – For Immediate Release
Canadian Groups Demand Market Stay Closed to GM Apple, as US Government Approves Genetically Modified “Non-Browning” Apple
February 13, 2015. Ottawa. The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) and the Society for a GE Free BC are raising the alarm after learning that the US government has approved the first genetically modified (GM) apple.
“The Canadian market needs to remain closed to this GM apple,” said Lucy Sharratt of CBAN. “Health Canada should not approve this apple. Consumers and farmers simply don’t want it on the market.”
The small BC company, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, owns the GM apple which is genetically modified (also called genetically engineered) to not turn brown after being cut, for 15-18 days according to the company. If approved by Canadian regulators, this would be the second GM fruit on the market anywhere in the world, after a US-grown papaya, and it would be the first GM fruit grown in Canada.
The US Department of Agriculture has approved the GM apple for growing and sale in the US, and the US Food and Drug Administration is now engaging in a voluntary food safety assessment consultation with the company.
A 2012 survey commissioned by the BC Fruit Growers’ Association and the Federation of Quebec Apple Growers showed that 69% of Canadians don’t want it approved.[1] Just last year, a petition asking the BC government for a moratorium on the GM apple was submitted with over 7,000 signatures, gathered by the Society for a GE Free BC in 20 communities.
“This apple is an outrage,” said Teresa Lynne of the Society for a GE Free BC, “We don’t need it and we don’t want it.”
The company says that GM apples in grocery stores would be labeled with the company’s trademark, but they will not be clearly labeled as genetically modified. The company promises a similar label on any food products that have ingredients from the GM apple but it’s not clear how this would be implemented or enforced.
“We would never sell this GM apple in our stores. Our customers don’t want it and I don’t see a benefit for the apple industry,” said Robert Horricks, BC orchardist and CEO of Blush Lane Organic Markets, Alberta.
Over 77 stores as well as two food distributors in BC, and some across the country, have already pledged not to sell the GM apple. Major food companies including McDonald’s and Gerber have already stated that they have no plans to source or sell this genetically modified apple.[2]
“All Canadian retailers and food manufacturers should urgently reassure their customers that they will never sell or use this GM apple,” said Sharratt.
The BC Fruit Growers Association has already asked the Canadian government to halt approval of the GM apple because of market rejection concerns.
Organic apple growers in BC have long opposed the GM apple because of contamination concerns.
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For more information: Lucy Sharratt, CBAN, 613 809 1103; Teresa Lynne, Society for a GE Free BC, 604 475 4457; Robert Horricks, Blush Lane Organic Markets, 403 869 9594
Notes:
[1] Poll available at http://www.bcfga.com/files/file/Report%20on%20GE%20survey%20-%20July%203%202012.pdf
[2] Statements from McDonalds and Gerber available at http://www.foe.org/projects/food-and-technology/genetic-engineering/no-gmo-apples
Posted in Food Security
We need your help and support even more now the GE apple has been approved in the US.
Please sign the petition to stop the GE apple – every time someone signs a message is sent to the Minister of Agriculture Norm Leitnick telling him to carry out the review the Liberal government promised about the GE apple. This may not make a difference on its own, but we also now have 77 stores across BC committed to not selling the GE apple. So please go to the link below and sign on, and contact us at gefreebc07@yahoo.ca if you want more info.
Posted in Food Security
Please go to your local store and ask them to commit to not selling the GE apple. You can find a sample letter to take into your store and one to be signed by the store here
So far 77 stores across the Province have signed. The more that sign, the less chance there is the GE apple will ever make it to market. If the investors in the GE apple don’t think there is a market for it, they will pull funding and the GE apple will disappear, as happened with the GE pig being development at Guelph University.
Then let us know if your local store has signed – email to gefreebc07@yahoo.ca
Posted in Food Security
The US approved the GE apple today. It has not been approved in Canada, but Canada may follow suit.
This isn’t a surprise as the USDA approves pretty much all GE applications. The majority of those approved never make it to market.
We are going to include actions you can take in the next two posts. Act now or the future of apples is genetically engineered.
There has been a fair bit of press on this here in BC, on BC Almanac and CTV.
There is still time to stop the GE apple even if it is approved in Canada, but now it’s even more urgent. HANS and GE Free BC are running a marketing campaign to get stores to commit to not selling the apple. So far 77 stores and 2 food processors have committed, and we are signing more up every day. If there is no market for the GE apple it won’t fly.
We are also pressing the BC government to carry out the review of the GE apple it promised in 2012, when it said it was concerned about the impact of the apple on the BC fruit industry.
Thanks Roots Natural Organic Foods for your commitment.
Posted in Food Security
Congratulations to Blue Moon Organics.
http://www.bluemoonorganics.com/
Blue Moon Organics delivers certified organic fruits, veggies, groceries and dog food. they signed the letter today promising not to sell GM apples if the Cdn Govt approves it. Reward this hardworking family business if you are looking for convenient organic food for your family!
Posted in Food Security
Disturbing findings about gylsophate content in childrens’ nutritional supplement.
Posted in Food Security
Moms Across America founder Zen Honeycutt took on Monsanto chief Hugh Grant at the company’s Annual General Meeting – and won, winning 53% of the vote on a call for Monsanto to reform its practices and safeguard the health of millions of children exposed to its toxic products – and Roundup in particular. In her own words, this is what took place … In the lion’s den: my victory against Monsanto – The Ecologist
Monsanto Shareholder Meeting Gets Heated – Corporate Intelligence – WSJ
Posted in Food Security
Please sign the petition to make the Comox Valley a GE Free zone.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/571/427/128/petition-for-a-ge-free-comox-valley/
We already have 15 individual GE Free zones in BC, with other municipalities working to become GE Free- for more details go to:
https://gefreebc.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/where-are-the-61-ge-free-zones-in-bc/
Email us at gefreebc07@yahoo.ca if you would like more info.
We often hear supporters of GE crops saying that there is a scientific consensus they are sage. Well here is a statement signed by over 300 scientists saying there is no consensus on this.
“No scientific consensus on GMO safety” statement published in peer-reviewed journal
Press release, European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER), 29 Jan 2015
A statement signed by over 300 scientists and legal experts to the effect that there is “No consensus” on the safety of genetically modified (GM) crops and foods has been published in a peer-reviewed open access journal, Environmental Sciences Europe.[i] It now belongs to the body of open peer-reviewed scientific literature and stands as a citable publication. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
The International Campaign to STOP GE Trees, Dogwood Alliance & Biofuelwatch
Outrage Over US Secret Approval of Genetically Engineered Trees
Groups Condemn US for Bowing to Industry, Ignoring Widespread Public Opposition
New York (29 Jan. 2015) – Groups from around the world [1] today joined together to denounce the US government for allowing the first genetically engineered tree, a loblolly pine, to be legalized with no government or public oversight, with no assessment of their risks to the public or the environment, and without regard to overwhelming public opposition to GE trees.
Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Press Release
CBAN Launches “GMO Inquiry 2015”
20 Years of unanswered questions on genetic modification in Canada
January 27, 2015. Ottawa. The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) has launched a major public investigation to dig behind 20 years of uncertainty around genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and farming in Canada. The project will be called GMO Inquiry 2015.
“We’re stepping up with our own inquiry because our government doesn’t track the impacts of GM crops and foods in Canada,” said CBAN Coordinator Lucy Sharratt. “Our government doesn’t even tell us where GMOs are on our grocery store shelves. After 20 years of secrecy and confusion, Canadians deserve some real information about the impacts and risks.”
In 1995, the Canadian government approved the first genetically modified (GM, also called genetically engineered or GE) crops and foods: 8 herbicide-tolerant canola varieties as well as the first GM soybean (also herbicide-tolerant), two types of GM delayed-ripening tomatoes (both withdrawn from the market by the companies), and the first varieties of Monsanto’s GM insect-resistant potatoes (also later withdrawn from the market by the company).
“Our government introduced genetically modified crops without a public debate or any GM food labelling for consumer choice,” said Taarini Chopra, also of CBAN. “It’s time we get to the truth about how GM technology is changing food and farming in Canada. Critical questions about the impacts of GMOs on our health, our environment, and our economy, remain unanswered.”
CBAN will publish new research throughout the year, examining the major questions of environmental, economic and health impacts of GMOs in Canada.
In 2015, CBAN will investigate:
1. Where GM foods and crops are found across the world, and how much is grown in Canada;
2. The impacts of GM crops on the environment;
3. The issues raised by GM foods for consumers, including safety;
4. The impacts of GM crops on farmers;
5. The state of GMO regulation in Canada;
6. Whether or not we need GM crops to feed the world.
CBAN invites Canadians to send in their questions to help shape the inquiry at http://www.GMOinquiry.ca
CBAN says their inquiry is urgent because the government has already approved GM 2,4-D- and dicamba-tolerant crops and could soon approve unprecedented GM foods, including the first-ever GM apple and the first GM food animal in the world (a GM salmon).
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More information: Lucy Sharratt, CBAN, cell 613 809 1103; Taarini Chopra, CBAN, cell 226 606 8240.
The GMO Inquiry 2015 (www.GMOinquiry.ca) is a project of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) http://www.cban.ca. CBAN is a campaign coalition of 17 organizations that researches, monitors and raises awareness about issues relating to genetic engineering in food and farming. CBAN members include farmer associations, environmental and social justice organizations, and regional coalitions of grassroots groups. CBAN is a project of Tides Canada Initiatives.
Posted in Food Security
Here’s an article about how North American wheat is regularly sprayed with RoundUp. The idea is that the Roundup dessicates the wheat so it’s easier to process. The same is regularly done with potatoes. So it’s not just Roundup resistant crops like canola that get sprayed with the stuff these days.
Be careful what you eat!
http://www.naturalnews.com/047962_Roundup_glyphosate_wheat.html
Press Release issued by Alliance For Food Sovereignty In Africa and US Food Sovereignty Alliance
Kampala, Uganda and Seattle, Washington- 10th December 2014
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) is a Pan African platform comprising civil society networks and farmer organisations working towards food sovereignty in Africa has submitted an Open Letter to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Wendy White from Iowa State University and the Human Institutional Review Board of Iowa State University expressing fierce opposition to the human feeding trials taking place at Iowa State University involving genetically modified (GM) bananas.
Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
DEC 11, 2014, MEXICO CITY—The Mexican Chapter of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal has called on the Mexican government to ban the planting of genetically modified (GM) maize in the country. The decision cited the importance of maize as one of three principal staple crops globally, which millions depend on. The Tribunal, which considered evidence gathered over three years from over 1000 organizations on this and other issues, also highlighted the importance of Mexico as the centre of origin of maize globally.
Continue reading
We need your help and support – for two minutes! Please sign the petition to stop the GE apple – every time someone signs a message is sent to the Minister of Agriculture Norm Leitnick telling him to carry out the review the Liberal government promised about the GE apple. This may not make a difference on its own, but we also now have 76 stores across BC committed to not selling the GE apple, and we expect more in the new year. So please go to the link below and sign on.
Posted in Food Security
The organi certification board has informed an organic apple grower that any grower who has GE Apples in the vicinity of their farm will
lose their organic certification.
Help stop the GE apple if you care about your food, your health and the environment. Go to https://gefreebc.wordpress.com/apple/ to see what you can do in your community. So far 76 stores across the Province have signed saying they won’t stock the GE apple – is there a store near you you can approach to ask to do the same?
Posted in Food Security
We know there has been large-scale contamination of non-GE crops by GE crops, now all the details have been recorded in this very interesting scientific study published in the International Journal of Food Contamination:
Posted in Food Security
Many of you will know about the recent study by Seralini which demonstrated potential negative health affects of Glysophate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Round-Up Ready (TM). This was one of the first longer term studies of glysophate – over a two year period as opposed to the 90 days studies carried out by industry. We happened to be in Paris when the article was published, and it made front page of Le Monde – a sharp contrast to the North American media where there was limited if any coverage.
Seralini had to retract the article, despite an outcry by large numbers of scientists. Now he wants public support to carry out another study – see below for details.
Posted in Food Security
A survey carried out by Vigilance OGM, a Quebec based member of CBAN, found that out of 137 tests across the country for GE sweetcorn, only one proved positive. So maybe people are voting with their wallets and purses and not buying sweetcorn. We hope so, and we’ll do some more tests next summer to check.
See the media release by CBAN below: Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
A couple of days back we blogged that a GE potato has been approved in the US – and now McDonalds have said they won’t buy it.
McDonalds US to their credit also said they won’t buy the GE apple which is being developed here in BC.
While in the end we need adequate regulation and testing of any new products, retail campaigns can keep these items off the shelf in the short term.
You can help us stop the GE apple by going to your local grocery store and getting them to commit to not selling it – go to https://gefreebc.wordpress.com/apple/ for details of what to tell your store and a letter they can sign.
Posted in Food Security
Please see below CBAN’s summary which is now posted at:
http://www.cban.ca/Resources/Topics/GE-Crops-and-Foods-Not-on-the-Market/Potato
There is a story in the Guardian UK Nov 8 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/08/innate-potato-simplot-gm-watchdogs
Lots of GE crops are approved but never make it to market. More on this story when we get updated information.
Posted in Food Security
Humboldt County, California recnetly passed a Genetic Contamination Prevention Ordinance, GMO Ban Initiative, Measure P, which will “prohibit the propagation, cultivation, raising, or growing of genetically modified organisms in Humboldt County”.
We need to be doing the same in BC – help us with our campaigns by becoming a member of GE Free BC – please go to the donate button on our home page.
Posted in Food Security
GE Free BC wrote to about 600 candidates in the upcoming municipal elections, and we have posted the responses we got on our blog!
Almost 100% of the candidates that responded said no to GE crops and animals! We know from the 2013 Union of BC Municipalities resolution asking the Provincial government to ban GE crops and animals that municipal level can make strong statements in favour of sustainable agriculture and against GE. And we now have 15 individual municipal level GE Free zones in BC, including Richmond and North Vancouver.
If you want to make a difference in your municipality, get in touch at gefreebc07@yahoo.ca
Posted in Food Security
Coquitlam 2014 candidates speak out about GE crops in responses to two questions (responses in no particular order):
Jack Trumley (speaking for Protect Coquitlam): 1. I’m a biologist so my views are pretty clear. I don’t support GMOs. Once you start down this road it becomes a slippery slope trying to stop it. Food is no longer in the public’s control but becomes now in the hands of corporations. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Port Moody 2014 candidates speak out about GE crops in responses to two questions (responses in no particular order):
Rick Glumac: 1. I’m not in favour of cultivation of genetically engineering crops. I prefer organic foods because I know what I’m eating. Genetic engineering is circumventing the natural process of evolution and can introduce unforeseen issues into the ecosystem. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Coquitlam 2014 candidates speak out about GE crops in responses to two questions (responses in no particular order):
Eric Hirv: I am aware of genetically engineered crops to create crops that don’t produce seed so that farmers need to buy seed each year.
Posted in Food Security
Vancouver 2014 candidates speak out about GE crops in responses to two questions (responses in no particular order):
Mercedes Wong: 1. I think all of us need to be as informed as possible when it comes to genetically engineered crops – crops with modified DNA to make them pest and drought resistant. In Canada, much of our corn, canola and soy crops are genetically modified. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Candidate positions in Nanaimo and Oceanside Alec McPherson, incumbent candidate for council in Area A of the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), with his background in science, brings strong knowledge to his GE positions: “Genetically engineered field crops cannot be controlled. They disperse their pollen (male genetic contribution) via wind, insects, birds, to neighbouring farms. GMO field crops like corn pollute the pure strains. Mexico has banned GM corn but farmers are still finding GM infiltration. GM plants have been developed to withstand the herbicide Roundup (glyphosate) but many areas in North America are finding weed resistance and the emergence of superweeds. New developments to combat superweeds combine genes resistant to glyphosate and 2,4-D. The long term safety of glyphosate and 2,4-D has not been firmly established. GM plants engineered with the bacterial Bt gene to combat the corn borer kill many useful insects and have given rise to corn borer resistance. The control of farmers by a few seed companies is increasing. Farmers opting for GM production must buy their seed from the corporation each year and cannot save any harvested seed for next year’s planting. Neonicotinoids, which are used on non-GM plants as well, are extremely toxic to insects, but also to birds and mammals to a lesser degree. They are nerve poisons. Neonics have come under scrutiny and have been banned in parts of Europe. The honey bee hive collapse has been linked to this insecticide. GM corporations Syngenta and Bayer are the biggest suppliers of this lethal family.” Qualicum Beach council candidate Barry Avis echoes the concern about corporate dominance: “I do not support the cultivation of genetically modified crops. Large corporations will be in charge of all our food production, small scale farmers will suffer and the quality of our food will be suspect.” As does incumbent Lantzville candidate Andrew Mostad: “I would much rather the cultivation of genetically engineered food crops be curtailed for several reasons. Their increased cultivation encourages multinational corporations to patent genetic codes. There is not enough data on the health impacts of ingesting these crops, and the data that is there shows some major health consequences to eating this food. As well, it opens up non-GMO farmers to severe liabilities if there is cross contamination with a neighbour’s field who is using GMO crops.” In Area F of the RDN, candidate Rick Ethier is committed to expanding this rural community’s deployment of “farm to the fork” projects on sustainable family farms, the very antithesis of industrial GMO monoculture. In Area E of the RDN, candidate Gordon Wiebe subscribes to the position articulated by the David Suzuki Foundation: “The safety of GMO foods is unproven and a growing body of research connects these foods with health concerns and environmental damage. For this reason, most developed nations have policies requiring mandatory labeling of GMO foods at the very least, and some have issued bans on GMO food production and imports. In Canada we do not.” Agreeing with this David Suzuki Foundation position, Qualicum Beach council candidate Anne Skipsey went on to add: “I do not support the cultivation of genetically engineered crops. Having spent 5 years working in the natural foods industry, I support organic farming practices and go out of my way to find non GMO produce and products for my family. I believe genetically modifying crops is a dangerous experiment and we should not be unknowingly exposed to these products. The Federal Government needs to introduce requirements for any GMO products to be labelled as such so that as citizens we can make informed purchasing decisions.” Qualicum Beach incumbent mayoralty candidate Teunis Westbroek is one of the many progressive voices across the province who are prepared to “lobby the Provincial Government to legislate the prohibition of importing, exporting and growing plants and seeds containing genetically engineered DNA and raising GE animals.” Qualicum Beach council candidate Neil Horner: “Let’s start with the neonicotinoid issue. From what I can tell, these substances are one of the main culprits behind the precipitous drop in the bee population. This being the case, I suggest a rapid response is needed to restrict these substances to the limit of the Town’s authority.” Several council candidates in nearby Parksville provided their GE positions: Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Maybe it has something to do with living on an island, and the mindful pursuit of all things healthy. So maybe we should not be surprised that when GE Free BC asked individual candidates standing for municipal elections in BC for their positions on GE crops, as well as herbicide and pesticide use, there was an impressive response from the candidates running for election to the Islands Trust Council. For those not yet familiar with this governance, the Islands Trust is a unique federation of local governments created 40 years ago serving islands in the Salish Sea, across an expanse of over 5,000 square km of land and water!
Here’s a sample of what we heard from the Islands Trust candidates. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Two years ago Metchosin District declared themselves a GE Free Zone, and have since worked hard through the AVICC to encourage all communities on Vancouver Island to follow their lead. Metchosin’s continued commitment is evident from the responses we received from current municipal election candidates.
From incumbent Councillor Moralea Milne: “I do not approve of GE crops, animals or fish. The science, coming as it does from the industry, is not to be trusted. The studies are akin to the days of the tobacco companies insisting through their scientific studies that there was no proof that tobacco causes cancer. I am worried about long term consequences to human health, and to the ability of traditional and organic farmers to keep their crops free from GE contamination (and possibly losing organic certification and market share).”
From Council candidate Kyara Kahakauwila: “I do not support the cultivation of GE crops. Manipulating crops can and will have long term negative effects on humans who consume them, on the environment connected to their growth, and on the long term viability of the crop itself. In our daily lives, we already have enough contaminates to contend with, we do not need to “modify” our food sources too! As a Council we can work with our farming community to help develop better ways to communicate and educate our residents to consume locally grown, unmodified foods.”
Council candidate Andy MacKinnon comments that “we need much more research about the effects of genetically modified crops on pollinators and on other plant species.”
And from Council candidate Anne Richmond: “Genetically engineered crops that are intended specifically for industrial agriculture, such as those designed to resist herbicides, promote long-term environmental degradation and unknown impacts on the total biosphere, so I am very much opposed to that type of crop, because of the system-wide impacts and the dependence on industrial produced seeds, leading to ever-lower diversity and ultimately high risk of failure.”
We at GE Free BC commend all of the well-informed candidates in Metchosin who are truly committed to a healthy, GE Free future for their fellow citizens.
Posted in Food Security
As we promised, we are reporting back on what we heard from candidates in the upcoming municipal elections – starting with Saanich. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Municipal elections are upon us! Here are two questions you could ask candidates by email or at all candidates meetings. In the next few days we are going to post some of the replies we have received from candidates on Vancouver Island with their views of GE crops and animals.
Questions:
What is your position on the cultivation of genetically engineered crops, and why?
What are you prepared to do to build awareness about genetically engineered crops and also herbicide, pesticide and neonicotinoid use?
Posted in Food Security
See the press release from CBAN below:
October 28 2014.
Ottawa. The Government of Panama has fined the company AquaBounty for breaching numerous national environmental laws during its ongoing research and development of a genetically modified (GM) Atlantic salmon. The GM fish eggs were shipped from Canada, provoking fears of environmental contamination in both countries. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Also known as extreme genetic engineering, if you wondered what it’s about and why you should be concerned about it, check out this 10 minute video:
http://www.synbiowatch.org/2014/10/synthetic_biology_explained/
Posted in Food Security
GE Free BC 