GM FLAX SCANDAL
1.GM flax puts market in turmoil [short]
2.Flax developer flummoxed [short]
3.GM flax issue keeping Canadian market quiet [full]
4.GM-contaminated flax seed raises concerns for Canadian organic sector [full]

NOTE: See also the German article: Illegale Leinsamen - Gentechnik im Musli
http://www.fr-online.de/top_news/1952127_Illegale-Leinsamen-Gentechnik-im-Muesli.html
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1.GM flax puts market in turmoil
By Sean Pratt
Western Producer, 17 September 2009
http://www.producer.com/free/editorial/news.php?iss=2009-09-17&sec=news&sto=000

Saskatoon newsroom - Flax trade with Europe has come to a grinding halt as officials try to sort out why an unregistered genetically modified flax variety is showing up in food products, according to European lab tests.

At least four German companies have taken cereal and bakery products off store shelves after they tested positive for the presence of CDC Triffid, a GM flax variety developed at the University of Saskatchewan's Crop Development Centre in the late 1980s.
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2.Flax developer skeptical
By Sean Pratt
Western Producer, 17 September 2009
http://www.producer.com/free/editorial/news.php?iss=2009-09-17&sec=news&sto=0028

Saskatoon newsroom - The developer of the only genetically modified flax variety to receive regulatory approval in Canada is as flummoxed as everybody else as to how a line that was deregistered eight years ago is suddenly at the centre of a market access firestorm.

On Sept. 8, the European Commission's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed issued a notification that a German lab had detected the presence of the unauthorized GM flax FP967 (CDC Triffid) that came into the country from Canada via Belgium. The incident is disrupting flax sales to Europe as growers harvest this year's crop.
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3.GM flax issue keeping Canadian market quiet
Phil Franz-Warkentin
Country Guide, 16 September 2009
http://www.country-guide.ca/east/issues/ISArticle.asp?aid=1000341274&PC=FBC&issue=09162009

Resource News International - The western Canadian flaxseed cash market remains stagnant in the aftermath of the unexpected discovery of genetically modified flax in a European shipment.

While Canadian flaxseed may eventually find its way into other markets, for the time being bids to farmers are either non-existent or very low, as market participants wait for a resolution to the current issue.

GM flax has been illegal to grow in Canada since 2001. However, the European Commission confirmed the presence of a genetic marker which is common to GM crops, NPTII, in some recent Canadian samples.

The discovery has put Canadian flaxseed sales to Europe on hold for the time being as market participants wait for firmer details on the matter.

Europe is the largest buyer of Canadian flaxseed, taking over 420,000 tonnes, nearly 80 per cent of all exports, in 2008-09, according to the latest Canadian Grain Commission data.

Flax bids in Western Canada dropped sharply, or were taken away altogether, as the GM issue came to light in early September.

"There's still no bids, or drastically discounted bids," said analyst Mike Jubinville of ProFarmer Canada on Wednesday. Available prices were "all over the place," he said, ranging from the $6 per bushel area to as high as $8.50 per bushel.

With sales to Europe unlikely, at least for the time being, Canada will be faced with the task of finding new buyers for its large flaxseed crop.

Jubinville noted the European demand for flaxseed, normally filled by Canada, will still need to come from somewhere. He thought some will come from Eastern Europe, while U.S. flaxseed could also move to Europe.

If more U.S. flaxseed makes its way to Europe, that would open the door for Canadian exports to the U.S.

"It will take some time to readjust the matrix," said Jubinville, adding that price incentives need to be put in place in order to encourage such a change in the trading pattern.

Overall, Canada will likely build its carryout of flaxseed, said Jubinville. "We can't just replace a buyer of that kind of volume."
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4.GE-contaminated flax seed raises concerns for Canadian organic sector
Organic Trade Association, September 14 2009
http://www.drinksmediawire.com/afficher_cdp.asp?id=5378&lng=2

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) in Canada has called the recent discovery of contaminated flax seed in Europe “unacceptable,” and said biotechnology companies must take responsibility for damages caused by their lack of appropriate containment protocols.

The European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed has discovered an illegal genetically engineered (GE) trait in German food products, which originated from Canada. Although no organic products have been implicated at this time, the discovery of this unauthorized GE trait in food products is a major concern for the Canadian organic sector, and for consumers around the world. The GE flax in question, called ‘Triffid,’ was designed specifically to withstand applications of synthetic chemical pesticides.

“It’s time for biotech companies to be good parents and take responsibility for their children. The owners of GE crops need to assume the liability for loss of market access due to their technologies appearing in countries or products in which they are not wanted. As GE products are not permitted under organic standards, the organic sector in Canada is extremely concerned by the prospect of losing access to its essential markets in Europe, Asia and around the world,” said Matthew Holmes, managing director of OTA in Canada.

The controversial illegal contamination of flax comes on the heals of recent activity to fast-track new GE crops into North America, including GE sugar beets, the July approval of Monsanto and Dow’s “SmartStax” GE corn, and current proposals to allow GE alfalfa and GE wheat to be grown in Canada.

“The introduction of GE alfalfa will seriously compromise Canada’s agricultural sector, and if GE wheat ‘goes wild’ like this flax seems to, it could destroy the market for Canada’s most important export commodity, wheat, whether it’s organic or not,” Holmes said.

An article in the Summer 2009 edition of The Organic Report indicates that the proposed introduction of GE alfalfa in Canada will seriously compromise the marketability of organic and non-organic crops for domestic and international markets. Alfalfa is a foundation of organic agriculture: used in crop rotations and as a green nutrient for soil to reduce reliance on monoculture and chemical fertilizers.

The Organic Trade Association has repeatedly called for a moratorium on new GE crops introduced into North American markets until more research is done on the impact of these technologies on human health, the environment and the economic impact of their introduction.

Founded nearly 25 years ago, the Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America, with affiliated offices in Canada and the United States. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy. www.ota-canada.ca

Matthew Holmes, managing director
Organic Trade Association in Canada
(613) 482-1717
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.