One of our major campaigns right now is against the non-browning apple being development by Okanagan Specialty Fruits in Summerland, BC. We are working on this with CBAN, the True Food Foundation, the Council of Canadians Kelowna and the Okanagan Greens. The Okanagan Organic Festival on the 23rd September in Kelowna will focus on the GMO apple. And now the Regional District of the Okanagan and Similikameen has unanimously passed a resolution against the GMO apple, which will go to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities this September. We will be posting a letter you can send to your mayor and councillors in advance of this September meeting. The resolution follows:
UBCM GMO MOTION Carried unanimously 21st June 2012
WHEREAS the BC Fruit Growers Association has asked the Okanagan Valley Regional Districts to investigate the establishment of a GE Free Zone for Tree Fruit Products: fruit and plant material in our respective Regional Districts.
WHEREAS orchard after neighbouring orchard of tree fruits can potentially be contaminated with GE DNA Constructs by the activities of pollinating insects like honeybees and the transport of honeybees from one orchard to another by the beekeepers.
WHEREAS The Okanagan Tree Fruit Cooperative, where over 80% of the commercial tree fruit crop in British Columbia is received, packed, stored, graded and shipped, will deny any GE (Genetically Engineered) fruit or fruit containing GE DNA Constructs
WHEREAS 100% of the Organic Tree Fruit orchards in BC that are found to contain GE fruit or fruit containing GE DNA Constructs would lose their organic certification.
THEREFORE, Be It Resolved that: UBCM asks the British Columbia Government to legislate the prohibition of importing, exporting, and the domestic production of fruit and plant material containing GE DNA Constructs and to declare that through legislation that BC is a GE Free Province in respect to all tree fruit products and …
Further, that UBCM forwards this motion to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for similar consideration for legislation by the Federal Government to establish the Country of Canada to be GE Free in respect to all tree fruit products.
By all means, fight the GE apple tooth and nail. It is an abomination that would very likely contaminate naturally grown apples nearby.