Canada has undemocratic and unsafe regulatory system -

[Guest guest]

Canada has " undemocratic and unsafe regulatory system " -

moratorium demanded

" GM WATCH " <info

Sun, 24 Oct 2004 11:07:19 +0100

 

 

 

Canada has " undemocratic and unsafe regulatory system " -

 

http://www.gmwatch.org

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EXCERPTS:

 

" A large coalition of Canada's groups from civil society including

environmentalists, consumers and farmers... will file a petition

signed by

about 20 000 people demanding a moratorium on GE crop and food. " (item

2)

 

" Canadian Government regulation of genetically engineered foods and

crops is designed to support the biotechnology industry and approve

products quickly so that corporations can sell their products. The

result is

an undemocratic and unsafe regulatory system. " (item 1)

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1.Polaris Institute: Bio Justice Project - Regulation and Public Policy

http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/re\

g_public_policy_index.htm

Corporations are working hard to capture government policy and

regulation. Government decisions on genetic engineering are being made

without

democratic process and public input. Many national governments rely on

weak regulation of GE to suit corporate interests, while heavily

subsidizing the biotech industry. Internationally, trade agreements

are being

used to undermine any stringent regulations, and force GE products onto

market.

 

Canadian Regulation

 

Canadian Government regulation of genetically engineered foods and

crops is designed to support the biotechnology industry and approve

products quickly so that corporations can sell their products. The

result is

an undemocratic and unsafe regulatory system.

 

New! October 21, 2004 : Genetically Modified Organisms and Precaution:

Is the Canadian Government Implementing the Royal Society of Canada's

Recommendations?

http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/rs\

c_report.pdf

A Report on the Canadian Government's Response to the Royal Society of

Canada's Expert Panel Report Elements of Precaution: Recommendations

for the Regulation of Food Biotechnology in Canada.

 

For full report in pdf format,

http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/rs\

c_report.pdf

For English Executive Summary in pdf format,

http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/ex\

ec_sum_en.pdf

 

Booklet: " Regulating Genetic Engineering for Profit: A guide to

corporate power and Canada's regulation of genetically engineered

foods " in

pdf format by Lucy Sharratt

The booklet includes a table of all GE crops approved in Canada and

details on where on food shelves they are, or are not.

 

Factsheet: " Rigorous Regulation? " click here for pdf.

http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/re\

gulationfactsheet.pdf

Send this factsheet to your Member of Parliament or take it with you

when you meet with them. Print this factsheet to give to your local

grocery store manager, take it to community meetings and other gatherings.

 

Pamphlet: " Rigorous Regulation? How the Canadian Government Approves

Genetically Engineered Foods and Crops Without Adequate Testing " click

here for pdf format by Lucy Sharratt

http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/re\

gulationpamphlet.pdf

Use this one page pamphlet for information pickets outside grocery

stores and other actions. " You might have heard our government tell you

that GE foods and crops are " rigorously regulated " . Loblaws and food

companies might have told you to " trust the regulators " . Find out how

wrong they are " .

 

Government Field Trials - " Save Agriculture Canada From Monsanto " :

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is using their public research centres

across the country to test genetically engineered crops, including GE

Wheat. As well as the environmental risks of contamination with these

open air trials of commercial and experimental GE crops, Access to

Information (ATI) documents obtained by Ottawa researcher Ken Rubin

reveal

that many of these tests are taking place with corporate funding. For ATI

tables of research trials across the country and supplemental documents

please

http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/ac\

tion_apr_03_index.html

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2.Media Advisory - GE crops and Minority Government: A chance for a

Policy based on Precaution ?

 

OTTAWA, Oct. 22 /CNW Telbec/ - A large coalition of canada's groups

from civil society (1) including environmentalists, consumers and farmers

demand

that the House of Commons put rapidly in place a policy based on

precaution concerning genetically engineered crop. A recent study from

the

Polaris

Institute(2) confirmed that the federal government failed to take

appropriate measures following the recommendations of the 2001 report

of the

Royal Society of Canada (3). The groups will file a petition(4) signed

by about 20 000 people demanding a moratorium on GE crop and food.

 

WHERE: Charles Lynch Room, Center building of the House of Commons

 

WHEN : Monday 25 October 2004 at 11 am

 

NOTES

(1) Réseau québécois contre les OGM (les AmiEs de la terre de

Québec, ACEF de Québec, l'Union des consommateurs, l'Union paysanne,

Greenpeace, Equiterre, etc.), Council of Canadians, etc.

(2) See: http://www.polarisinstitute.org/

(3) Royal Society of Canada, Elements de précaution (2001),

http://www.rsc.ca//index.php?lang_id=1 & page_id=119

(4) See text of the petition : http://membres.lycos.fr/rqcogm/ ,

 

For further information: Eric Darier, Greenpeace, Cell. (514) 605-6497,

(514) 933-0021 ext 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

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