EXTRACT: "Canada was wise to say no to Monsanto's GE Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) in 1999 and the next government
should follow suit and adopt a moratorium on GE crops and foods."
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Federal elections – Call for a moratorium on GE crops and foods
CNW Telbec, September 16 2008
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2008/16/c4844.html
OTTAWA – A broad coalition of civil society groups is calling on all candidates and Parties in the federal election to support an immediate moratorium on all new genetically engineered (GE) crops and food approvals until the government's procedures for GE risk assessment have be reviewed and strengthened to meet strict international and scientific standards.
The coalition, coordinated by the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), has made this call for action on the same day as the National Film Board releases the DVD version of the controversial documentary: The World According to Monsanto (1). The filmmaker, Marie-Monique Robin, will be visiting Canada for the occasion and will be attending a public screening of the documentary in Ottawa tomorrow (2).
"Nobody can remain undisturbed after watching the documentary The World According to Monsanto," said Lucy Sharratt, CBAN coordinator. "The film documents the history of Monsanto, the global leader in genetically engineered seeds and one of the most controversial companies in the world. The film shows the devasting impacts of GE crops around the world, one of the most relevant issues of our time."
"After watching this documentary, everyone will understand how Monsanto
managed to get governments to authorize GE crops and foods without supplying public, independent and peer-reviewed scientific proof of their safety," said Josh Brandon, Greenpeace agriculture campaigner.
"Canada was wise to say no to Monsanto's GE Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) in 1999 and the next government should follow suit and adopt a moratorium on GE crops and foods."
Canada and the U.S. are currently the only two countries in the developed
world that refuse to impose mandatory labeling of GE food. "Monsanto's excessive influence in Ottawa explains why the Harper government and a
majority of MPs voted against Bill C-517 last May that would have labeled GE foods and given Canadians the right to know ," said Tony Beck, steering committee member with the Society for a GE Free B.C..
The coalition urges citizens to contact their local candidates for the October 14 Federal election and demand that they support an immediate
moratorium on all new genetically engineered (GE) crops and foods.
"Monsanto's GE crops like soya, canola and corn increase farmers dependency on Monsanto's Roundup herbicide," said Colleen Ross, Women's President of the National Farmers Union. "Harper's attack on the farmers' controlled Canadian Wheat Board would give foreign multinational companies the power to force Canada to adopt GE wheat."
Notes
(1) DVD copies of The World According to Monsanto are available at video stores (Blockbuster, Superclub Videotron, etc.) and online at: http://www.archambault.ca/store/Product.asp?mscssid=&sku=002218715&type=2
(2) September 17 4pm to 7pm in the Alumni Auditorium, University Centre, University of Ottawa, September 18, 7-10 pm at UQAM in Montreal, room DSR-51, pavillon J-A DeSève, 320 Ste-Catherine est
(3) List of MPs voting record on C-517 available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/ge/latest-developments/c-517-how-they-voted
For request for media interview with Ms. Robin, please call +514 605-6497
For further information: Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, CBAN, (613) 241-2267; Josh Brandon, Agriculture campaigner, Greenpeace, (604) 721-7493; Colleen Ross, Women's President, National Farmers Union, (613) 213-1522; Tony Beck, Steering Committee Member, Society for a GE Free BC, (604) 980-3916