Vernon:
WHEN: Saturday May 25th, at 11 AM till NOON
WHERE: Starts at MP Colin Mayes’ office 3105 29 Street, Vernon, BC, walk through downtown to MLA Eric Foster’s office and back at MP’s office.
Marches also taking place in Nanaimo, Prince George and many other cities.
See all the events at: http://www.march-against-monsanto.com/
Posted in Food Security
51 municipalities yesterday supported a motion brought forward by Metchosin to make Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities a genetically engineered free zone – from Victoria to Comox to Campbell River to the Sunshine Coast and to Ucluelet!!!!
For the communities covered, go here http://avicc.ca/about-the-avicc/avicc-members-2/
Being a GE free zone means that citizens have said no to genetically engineered crops. A resolution is not a bylaw, but it makes everyone understand the level of opposition to GE crops.
Thanks and congratulations to all the local activists involved in this amazing victory for sustainable agriculture.
Please consider making a donation to GE Free BC through the donate button on the right hand side of this page. We are 100% volunteer with no staff or administrative costs, so all of your donation will go to our campaigns to promote sustainable agriculture and against GE crops in BC.
Posted in Food Security
Rally : For policy change for Vancouver Island and the surrounding areas to move in the direction of being GE-Free.
Posted in Food Security
Rally : For policy change for Vancouver Island and the surrounding areas to move in the direction of being GE-Free.
Posted in Food Security
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah7h2ApbBPnpdGhOMElaSVg1QUQtRlJQWm1FaUZISlE#gid=0
https://www.facebook.com/MarchAgainstMonstanto
Includes events in BC
Posted in Food Security
Gwynne Dyer had a piece in the Georgia Straight supporting GE crops in general and GE rice in particular.
http://m.straight.com/article/36913
Here is our response, which we sent to the Straight:
In his article on Golden Rice and the necessity of genetically engineered crops (4th April) Gwynne Dyer makes a number of unsubstantiated claims.
Dyer claims genetically engineered (GE) crops are necessary to feed a growing global population. But about 60% of GE crops, particularly corn and soy, are used for animal feed, a very inefficient way of using resources to feed humans. And in North America, where about a third of the population is obese, we throw away 50% of our food – so why is it we need more food exactly? Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Sign the petition to turn Vancouver Island GE Free – to be presented to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities meeting on the 14th April in Sooke
Posted in Food Security
Hosted by Craig Keating, NDP candidate, North Vancouver-Lonsdale.
Posted in Food Security
Posted in Food Security
Every month in BC there are actions against GMOs involving hundreds of people. Get involved in your community – become part of the movement. Below is a round up of the main actions in March and upcoming events for the next few weeks.
You can become a member of GE Free BC by clicking on the donate button on the right hand side of this page.
March: Tewkla village in northwestern BC becomes the 11th GE Free Zone in the Province. Congratulations to GE activists in Tewkla.
http://gefreebc.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/breaking-news-telkwa-becomes-the-11th-ge-free-zone-in-bc/
March: Two GE acvitists, Arzeena Hamir and Carmen Wakefield, made a presentation to the Comox Valley Regional District asking them to support a Vancouver Island wide resolution against GE crops proposed by Metchosin Council.
The Comox Valley Echo held an online vote and 79% were in favour of banning GMOs.
March: the GE Free Vancouver group had its first meeting at the Mobius Cafe, which is a GE Free zone in central Vancouver. If you want to get involved in making Vancouver a GE Free zone, contact gefreebc07@yahoo.ca
Upcoming events:
March 26th: Doreen Dewell speaks to the issue of GMOs and health. Time: 2:30 to 4:30
For more information contact: gefreebc07@yahoo.ca
April 11th: Screening of movie Food Matters in Langley
April 14th: the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities votes on resolution to turn Vancouver Island and surrounding communities into a GE Free zone. This is a major campaign across Vancouver Island led by GE Watch Comox Valley
Sign the petition to support a GE Free Vancouver Island. Petitions do make a difference – as part of a broader campaign:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/648/428/554/declare-vancouver-island-a-ge-free-zone/
April: screening of the movie Genetic Roulette in Williams Lake
Check https://www.facebook.com/WilliamsLakeFilmClub/timeline for details
Posted in Food Security
On the 11th March the village of Telkwa, in northwestern BC, became the 11th GE Free zone in BC. The resolution is below.
The other GE Free zones are:
Powell River, Nelson, Kaslo, Rossland, New Denver, Salt Spring Island, Denman Island, Richmond, Saanich and Metchosin.
In addition, a resolution against the GE apple, adopted by the Okanagan-Smilkameen Regional District, was endorsed by all BC municipalities in September 2012. Cherryville voters in a recent poll voted 96% in favor of a resolution against GE crops. There are seven other municipalities working on GE Free zones right now – if you want to get involved in your community, email gefreebc07@yahoo.ca and go to the resources tab so see what becoming a GE Free Zone means. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Read the exchange between, Dr. Paul Horgen, Professor Emeritus, The University of Toronto, and Dr. Thierry Vrain, noted anti-GMO campaigner Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Doreen Dewell speaks to the issue of gmos and its health effects. This is part of the university lecture series. It is for the students but is open to the public.
Posted in Food Security
Two GE acvitists, Arzeena Hamir and Carmen Wakefield, just made a presentation to the Comox Valley Regional District asking them to support a Vancouver Island wide resolution against GE crops proposed by Metchosin Council. Read the story here.
Sign the petition to support a GE Free Vancouver Island. Petitions do make a difference – as part of a broader campaign:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/648/428/554/declare-vancouver-island-a-ge-free-zone/
Posted in Food Security
Posted in Food Security
Tuesday April 9, 2013
12 noon to 1 pm
Outside MP offIces
GM alfalfa is an urgent threat now – companies want to introduce GM alfalfa this Spring!
Contact coordinator@cban.ca to work with the National Farmers Union (NFU) and Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) to organize an event in your community on April 9. Check http://www.cban.ca/april9 for updates, to find the rally closest to you, and to find out how else you can join the day of action. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Posted in Food Security
GE Free BC and CBAN, along with the Okanagan Greens and the True Food Foundation, coordinated the gathering of 5,500 signatures against the GE apple. See the press release below.
March 12, 2013
“Botox Apple” sparks controversy
More than 5500 BC residents have signed a petition calling on the BC Legislature to “take urgent action to halt the commercial introduction of a genetically modified apple”.
Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
GM Opponents ask Premier to Ban GM Salmon Egg Production in PEI
Charlottetown – Islanders Say No to GM Salmon is calling on Premier Ghiz to ban the production of genetically modified (also known as genetically engineered or GE) Atlantic salmon eggs in PEI. As the United States edges closer to approving human consumption of GM salmon in the next months, increased attention is now focused on Canada, and in particular PEI, as the only source of GM salmon eggs on the planet. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Posted in Food Security
Cherryville is known for spearheading many innovations. On February 12th, Cherryville residents will have the opportunity to lead other RDNO communities by choosing to be the first to ban GM crops. Although the decision will be made by area E residents only, supporters are welcome to attend this information session and important event. Tuesday February 12th, 7 PM, at the Cherryville Hall.
Posted in Food Security
www.avaaz.org/en/stop_frankenfish_r?twi
The Avaaz petition is almost at a million signatures – sign now
Posted in Food Security
Hear Dr. Thierry Vrain at the Mobius Cafe (a GE Free zone), 4125 Main Street, at 7pm on the 29th January. Thierry is a former genetic engineer turned organic farmer who will talk about the science behind GE crops and why you should be concerned about them.
Posted in Food Security
This should only make us more concerned about GE crops. We will continue to follow and keep posting on this story.
Published January 21st in Independent Science News:
Posted in Food Security
Posted in Food Security
About a hundred people turned up at the Regional District of the North Okanagan meeting on the 16th January to support a GE Free zone resolution. Several hundred more wrote letters of support. A presentation was made by BeeSafe which was welcomed by local politicians.
You can see the presentation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj9063uh4mc&feature=youtu.be including the presentation and questions by Councillors.
Let’s not underestimate the potential for local people to make a difference.
A newspaper report of the event can be found here
http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/187231541.html
Posted in Food Security
Posted in Food Security
Posted in Food Security
Learn How GMO Foods Are Affecting Our Health
January 29, 7- 9:30 pm
Mobius Café
4125 Main Street, Vancouver
FOR MORE INFO
mobiuscoffeeandtea.com
gefreebc.wordpress.com
gefreebc07@yahoo.ca
Come and hear Dr. Thierry Vrain, an expert on genetically engineered crops, and learn about the affects of GE foods and what you can do about it.
Thierry was a genetic engineer in agricultural research, heading a Canadian Government Biotechnology Department. In his presentation he will explain the hopes for the technology 25 years ago and from recent scientific research, the evidence to question the success and status of this technology. He counters claims that engineered crops are safe, increase yields, decrease pesticide use and are benign to the environment. Thierry now has an organic farm on Vancouver Island.
Also hear about the Provincial Campaign against the genetically engineered apple being developed in the Okanagan, and the plan to turn Vancouver into a genetically engineered free zone. There are currently ten GE Free communities in BC, including Richmond.
Organised by Mobius Café (a GE Free zone) and the Society for a Genetically Engineered Free BC
Posted in Food Security
Much of the hype around new technology centres around solving problems such as hunger or disease. But anyone who knows anything about hunger also knows that distribution is as much a problem as production. We now have 1 billion people who are obese, and 1 billion people undernourished – in other words a totally dysfunctional global food system based on profit rather than social equity and environmental sustainability. GE crops are central to this dysfunctionality.
If GE crops were about feeding hungry people, why do a majority of them (maybe 60%) go to cattle feed, which is an enormously wasteful way to use land and water – read Eleanor Boyle’s excellent book on this and why we need to eat less meat: http://www.newsociety.com/Contributors/B/Boyle-Eleanor
If our food was distributed equally there would be more than enough to feed us all. The proof – in Europe and North America we throw away 30-50% of the food we produce.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/10/half-world-food-waste
Tristram Stuart, an anti waste activitst, has a really good talk on this
http://www.ted.com/talks/tristram_stuart_the_global_food_waste_scandal.html
Here’s a piece from the UK Guardian about opposition to GE crops globally
Posted in Food Security
Environ Sci Technol. 2012 Dec 18;46(24):13448-54. Epub 2012 Dec 6.
Chen J, Jin M, Qiu ZG, Guo C, Chen ZL, Shen ZQ, Wang XW, Li JW. College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University , Chengdu, Sichuan Province 610064, People’s Republic of China.
Comment from UC Berkeley microbiologist Dr. Ignacio Chapela, well known for his research on maize in Mexico. If you don’t know Dr. Chapela’s history, a decision was made to refuse him tenure at UC Berkeley because of his research showing contamination of maize in Mexico by GE maize. This decision was overturned after international protect.
Paper demonstrating the escape and establishment of transgenic DNA from GMOs in all rivers tested in China. Continue reading
Posted in Food Security
Here’s an interesting piece in the Georgia Straight about fitness specialists who among other things avoid GE food. Not usually the kind of thing we publish but a bit different!
http://www.straight.com/life/fighting-fat-requires-finding-right-carbohydrates
Posted in Food Security
If you are in the North Okanagan, go to the Regional District of the North Okanagan meeting at 4pm on Wednesday the 16th. The address is 9848 Aberdeen, Coldstream.
Bee SAFE will present on why 10 BC municipalities have passed resolutions to become GMO free and will show why it is crucial for the RDNO to do the same.
Posted in Food Security
Chinese families did not give consent for children to consume genetically modified rice in the part US-funded study. China has sacked three officials for breaching Chinese laws and ethical regulations during a trial in which children were fed genetically modified rice.
http://www.nature.com/news/china-sacks-officials-over-golden-rice-controversy-1.11998?WT.ec_id=NEWS-20121211
Posted in Food Security
The US Food and Drug Administration has opened a 60 day consultation period concerning approval of GE salmon. For more on GE salmon go to http://www.cban.ca/Take-Action
We will post more on this in the coming days including actions you can take. The consultation period was opened just before Christmas – perhaps to make sure there was limited media attention.
GE Salmon is being developed by a Canadian company called AquaBounty, which is based in PEI. If GE salmon is approved then it will be the first GE animal or fish on the market.
For the FDA releases see below.
Genetically Engineered Salmon –http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/GeneticEngineering/GeneticallyEngineeredAnimals/ucm280853.htm
AquAdvantage Salmon Draft Environmental Assessment –http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/GeneticEngineering/GeneticallyEngineeredAnimals/UCM333102.pdf
AquAdvantage Salmon Preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact –http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/GeneticEngineering/GeneticallyEngineeredAnimals/UCM333105.pdf
Posted in Food Security
In a gutsy move, Kenya’s government has banned all imported GMO goods – effective immediately. They are also suspending all sales of genetically modified produce and foods with GM ingredients until health safety is confirmed. The ban is not permanent, however – it depends on what evidence the ministry concludes. Biotechnology research can continue.
Posted in Food Security
Go to
http://gefreebc.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/ge-free-bc-newsl-dec2012.pdf
For our latest news, what we all achieved in 2012, and campaigns for 2013
We will have a few more posts coming up in the next few days before the holiday break, so stay tuned to your favourite non-GMO blog…….
Posted in Food Security
Showtime is at 7 p.m. at the Edward Milne Community School theatre. Admission is by donation.
www.awarenessfilmnight.ca
Thierry is a geneticist and organic farmer on Vancouver Island who knows more about the science and politics behind genetically engineered foods than most.
The movie Genetic Roulette presents evidence that points to GE foods as a major contributor to rising disease rates, especially among children. Gastrointestinal disorders, allergies, inflammatory diseases, autism and infertility are just some of the problems implicated. It also provides meticulous research on how biotech companies continue to mislead legislators, the public and safety officials about the dangers of GE foods and offers practical suggestions for avoiding GE ingredients which can be hidden in our food.
Posted in Food Security
Posted in Food Security
