Modified Corn Seeds Sow Doubts

Consumer groups worry Health Canada ‘abdicated its responsibility’ to test seeds’ safety

From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail – Martin Mittelstaedt

ENVIRONMENT REPORTER

Next spring, farmers in Canada will be able to sow one of the most complicated genetically engineered plants ever designed, a futuristic type of corn containing eight foreign genes.

With so much crammed into one seed, the modified corn will be able to confer multiple benefits, such as resistance to corn borers and rootworms, two caterpillar-like pests that infest the valuable grain crop, as well as withstanding applications of glyphosate, a weed killer better known by its commercial name, Roundup.

But a controversy has arisen over the new seeds, which were approved for use last month by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Health Canada hasn’t assessed their safety.

The health agency said in response to questions from The Globe and Mail that it didn’t have to do so, because it is relying on the two companies making the seeds, agriculture giants Monsanto Co. and Dow AgroSciences LLC, to flag any safety concerns. But the companies haven’t tested the seeds either, because they say they aren’t required to.

The companies have checked the safety of each of the eight genes one at a time in individual corn plants, but haven’t done so when they combined the foreign matter together in one seed, says Trish Jordan, a spokesperson for Monsanto Canada Inc.

Monsanto Signs Multi-Year Sponsorship of Canadian Curling Association

According to this press release from the Canadian Curling Association,
their corporate sponsor “Monsanto remains focused on enabling both
small-holder and large-scale farmers to produce more from their land
while conserving more of our world’s natural resources such as water
and energy.”

If anyone would like to correct the Canadian Curling
Association, you can write  to Greg Stremlaw, Chief Executive Officer,
Canadian Curling Association 613-834-2076, ext 117
gstremlaw@curling.ca 1660 Vimont Court Cumberland, Ontario K4A 4J4

(Please, please email this man – April)

Monsanto Canada Signs New Multi-Year Presenting Sponsorship
http://www.seasonofchampions.ca/2010worlds/news497.asp

OTTAWA, June 16, 2009…The Canadian Curling Association (CCA) today
announced that Monsanto Canada has extended its involvement as the
presenting sponsor of several premier curling championships in Canada
through 2013.

This new multi-year agreement makes Monsanto the presenting sponsor of
the 2010 Ford world women’s curling championship, March 20-28 in Swift
Current, Saskatchewan, the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Tim Hortons Brier
(Canadian men’s curling championship) and the next three Continental
Cups (the Ryder Cup-like competition featuring Team North America
versus Team World) during those seasons, at sites and dates to be
announced.

Response to Western Producer newspaper: Greenpeace responsible for Triffid flax scandal

By April Reeves

I responded to this article in the ‘editorial’ on their Nov. 26/09 publication. It was written by 5 people. I wonder if the Producer is writing ‘nice’ things about Monsanto in order to continue their advertising. I owned a publication once; I know what that’s all about…

GM Acceptance/Opponents Fading

Positive signs for greater acceptance of GM foods, by Bruce Dyck, Terry Fries, Barb Glen, D’Arce Mcmillan and Ken Zacharias

GREENPEACE’S European campaign against genetically modified crops has hurt Canadian farmers. The organization pressured European authorities to test Canadian flax for the presence of unauthorized genetically altered seed and pressured mustard processors to avoid Canadian mustard seed.

Greenpeace got what it wanted in the Triffid flax situation, a trumped up “scandal” to rail against, to frighten consumers about the alleged dangers of GM crops and inadequate government regulation and oversight.

Canadian farmers got what they didn’t want, market disruption, lower prices and a costly new flax testing system.

But they might take hope in signs that European obstacles to trade in GM crops are eroding and Greenpeace’s anti-GM campaign will eventually fail.

GE Corn – Stacked traits lack assessment: Opinion

By Lucy Sharratt, coordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network based in Ottawa (from the Western Producer)

Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences are calling their new SmartStax corn a  “game-changing” technology.

How so? Is it the increased prices they will eventually charge for a  corn with eight genetically engineered traits? Is it the 75 percent  reduction in refuge area that they successfully negotiated?