Canada: National food fight launched to stop GM crops

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GMW: National food fight launched to stop GM crops

" GM WATCH " <info

Thu, 2 Jun 2005 18:39:04 +0100

 

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http://www.gmwatch.org

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Community by community, citizens are banding together to create a web

of zones across Canada that are free of genetically engineered plants,

animals, crops and trees.

 

1.National food fight launched to stop genetically engineered crops

2.Canada's largest protestant denomination calls for moratorium on new

GM foods

3. " The Future of Food - is GE-free! "

 

EXCERPTS: " Over four years ago, the Royal Society of Canada Expert

Panel's report called for a much more rigorous and independent regulatory

framework

for GM foods. Not only have few of the report's key recommendations

ever been implemented, but now... the approval of GM and other novel

foods

could even be weakened. " (ITEM 2)

 

" This (GE-FREE CANADA) movement is about long-term economic

sustainability, local control over food production, a healthy

environment and

democracy as opposed to food profiteering and the destruction of our

genetic biodiversity through corporate control of seeds and agriculture. "

(ITEM 1)

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1.National food fight launched to stop genetically engineered crops

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2005/02/c6866.html

 

VANCOUVER, June 2 /CNW Telbec/ - Canadians are joining regions,

communities and countries around the world in declaring their communities

GE-Free Zones.

 

Launched today, the GE-Free Canada campaign is a nation-wide,

grass-roots effort by farmers, environmentalists, and ordinary Canadians

concerned with issues of food safety and food sovereignty.

 

Community by community, citizens are banding together to create a web

of zones across Canada that are free of genetically engineered (GE)

plants,

animals, crops and trees. The campaign's goal is to have 50 communities

in Canada declare themselves GE-Free in the next two years.

 

Saskatchewan farmer and world-renowned food sovereignty activist Percy

Schmeiser will kick off the campaign at a public event in Vancouver

tonight.

 

" For years I have fought for farmers' rights to decide what we grow and

how we grow it. GE-Free Zones extend that principle to the entire

community, " says Schmeiser. " This movement is about long-term economic

sustainability, local control over food production, a healthy environment

and democracy as opposed to food profiteering and the destruction of our

genetic biodiversity through corporate control of seeds and

agriculture. "

 

The GE-Free movement already has incredible momentum in Canada. Salt

Spring Island, BC and Powell River, BC have passed municipal resolutions

declaring themselves GE-Free Crop Areas. Prince Edward Island is

currently holding legislative committee hearings to decide whether to

make

the province GE-Free. Numerous communities across the prairies have

passed municipal resolutions banning GE wheat.

 

" Currently, biotech giants such as Monsanto Canada aren't held

accountable when their GE seeds contaminate a farmer's fields.

Farmers, on the

other hand, are forced to pay up to the corporation or lose their

farms, " says Tara Scurr of the Council of Canadians. " With the attempted

introduction of

untested GE crops, terminator and predator seeds, keeping food safe and

in the control of local communities is a battle we cannot afford to

lose. "

 

Communities in Europe, Asia, and the United States have banded together

to fight GE products at local and national levels. Over 100 regions of

Europe

and 3400 local authorities have told biotech companies that their

genetically engineered crops are not welcome.

 

" As community activists working to promote a democratic food system,

our chapter feels that this is a real opportunity to engage our community

around ethical consuming and to support sustainable local farming

practices. It's a

question of 'eat local, think global.' Right now food is controlled by

large corporations with a global reach and an absence of ethics, not by

local

farmers and consumers. And that's scary. " says Tony Beck of the Council

of Canadians Vancouver North Shore Chapter.

 

Canadians want a moratorium on the planting and harvesting of

genetically engineered crops, plants, trees, and animals until the

public is

satisfied

that they do not threaten human health or Canada's genetic

biodiversity.

 

The GE-Free Canada campaign will be launched tonight at a public forum

in Vancouver at the Maritime Labour Centre. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and

admission is free.

 

For further information: Laura Sewell, Media Officer, (613) 233-2773,

cell: (613) 795-8685, lsewell; Tara Scurr, BC Regional

Organizer, (604) 688-8846, cell: (604) 340-2455, tscurr

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2.United Church calls for moratorium on new genetically modified foods

 

TORONTO, June 1 /CNW/ - " Our concern with genetically modified foods is

not what we know about their safety, but rather what we don't know, "

says Mark Hathaway, The United Church of Canada's program officer for

Biotechnology and

Food Security.

 

Hathaway explains that this uncertainty has led the United Church to

call on the Canadian government to declare an immediate moratorium on the

approval

of new genetically modified (GM) food varieties until a more rigorous

and independent system of approving, regulating, monitoring, and

labelling GM

foods has been fully implemented.

 

" We believe that our current regulatory system lacks the necessary

transparency, independence and rigour to truly ensure food safety and

ecological sustainability, " says Hathaway. " We need an independent

government agency working at arm's length to test and monitor all GM

foods.

This agency should publish all test results and make them available for

scientific peer review. "

 

In a letter sent this week to the Prime Minister, the United Church

outlines the genetically modified food policy recently approved by its

General Council Executive. The policy's recommendations are the result of

nearly four years of work involving study and consultation with United

Church congregations, theologians, ethicists, agronomists, and other

scientists.

 

The recommendations cover a broad range of issues, including the

mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods; guaranteeing the

right of

farmers to save, reuse, and exchange seeds; and guaranteeing that

Canada's trade and food aid policies do not promote - directly or

indirectly

- the

adoption of GM foods in countries that have not explicitly chosen to do

so.

 

Hathaway explains that the United Church also believes that the

Government of Canada should commission thorough, independent,

peer-reviewed

research into some of the key unanswered safety and ecological concerns

around GM foods.

 

As well, he says, some aspects of GM food technology should simply be

prohibited because they pose significant health and ecological risks.

One example of this would be a ban on using GM food crops to produce

chemical and pharmaceutical products, such as drugs and hormones, that

could negatively affect human or animal health if consumed

unintentionally.

 

The moratorium on new GM food approvals is an important first step in

creating a regulatory system that takes precaution seriously, says

Hathaway.

 

He adds, " Over four years ago, the Royal Society of Canada Expert

Panel's report called for a much more rigorous and independent regulatory

framework

for GM foods. Not only have few of the report's key recommendations

ever been implemented, but now, with recent legislative initiatives like

Bill C-27,

regulations applying to the approval of GM and other novel foods could

even be weakened. "

 

The United Church of Canada believes the moratorium should remain in

place until a new independent agency and regulatory regime for GM foods

has been implemented, and all GM food varieties that are currently

approved for consumption have been retested.

 

For further information: please contact: Mary-Frances Denis,

Communications Officer, The United Church of Canada, (416) 231-7680

ext. 2016

(business), (416) 885-7478 (cell), (416) 766-0057 (residence)

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3. " The Future of Food - is GE-free! " Says SPUD

http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/June2005/01/c6580.html

 

VANCOUVER, June 1 /CNW/ - Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (SPUD) has

issued a Statement on GE Foods, joining the Council of Canadians in

calling

for a Canada-wide moratorium on genetically modified organisms and

launching an initiative for a GE-Free Vancouver. At the recent DOXA Film

Festival, SPUD

presented the compelling feature documentary " The Future of Food " to a

full house, followed by a forum discussion on the next steps toward

creating

" zones " free of genetically modified organisms.

 

" The more I learn about genetic engineering, the more concerned I

become about the safety of our food supply, " said SPUD Founder & CEO

David

Van

Seters. " Currently, the only way to protect the health of you and your

family is to buy Certified Organic food. "

 

Many countries around the world have banned or restricted GE crops, and

Europe is home to more than 100 GE-free regions and 3,500 GE-free

localities. In June 2004, Powell River became the first GE-free crop

zone

in Canada and Prince Edward Island is holding a referendum in September

to make the entire Province a GMO-free zone. Upcoming meetings in

Vancouver include the following:

 

Join the Movement to Make Canada GE-Free

Council of Canadians with Percy Schmeiser, Dr. Shiv Chopra, Aimee

Watson & Colin Palmer

Thursday, June 2nd - doors at 6:30pm (admission free) Maritime Labour

Centre - 1880 Triumph St, Vancouver

For more information contact: awaxman

 

Make Your Community GE-Free!

Learn how to make a Municipal Resolution with Council of Canadians

Wednesday, June 15th - 7pm

Hosted by SPUD - 1660 East Hastings St, Vancouver

For more information contact: erin or awaxman

 

SPUD is Canada's leading organic home delivery service, emphasizing

support for local, small scale food providers. SPUD delivers the freshest,

tastiest, organic produce plus a full range of wholesome groceries to

homes and offices throughout the BC Lower Mainland, Whistler region and

Southern Vancouver Island.

 

LINKS: Small Potatoes Urban Delivery www.spud.ca

Council of Canadians www.canadians.org

The Future of Food www.lilyfoods.com

 

For further information: or media inquiries, contact: Lorinda Earl,

Amorphous Media, cell (778) 889-7804, email lorinda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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