Protect Canada's right to non GMO food
- by: A concerned Canadian.
- recipient: Minister of International Trade Peter Van Loan and Minister of Agriculture and agri-food Gerry Ritz.
Behind closed doors the Government of Canada and the European Union negotiate far reaching trade regulations making decisions that potentially could hijack control of Canada's agriculture from farmers and place it firmly in the hand of seed corporations.
CETA , the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement being discussed, contains within clauses which would virtually ban the saving of seeds for replanting; a fundamental farming practice that farmers have done since the dawn of time, along with draconian enforcement measures that would give seed companies the power to freeze blank accounts as well as to seize crops, seed and harvesting/procession equipment from those the company feel are infringing on its Intellectual Property. Which includes saving patented seed or having your field contaminating with wind blown pollen or seeds.
If the government of Canada were to agree, forcing farmers to buy expensive high maintenance genetically modified seeds annually would mean greater debt for farmers bringing about bankruptcies, suicides and consolidation of farm land into fewer hands. The rich mosaic of crops grown would dwindle down to a patented few genetically modified seeds who's effects on health are increasing believed to include organ damage and infertility among other things. Canada's produce would be increasingly shut out of the EU where citizen health concerns have regulate their marketing.
Health dangers: http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_544575.html
disinformation of yield http://ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/science/failure-to-yield.html
law suits http://www.enviroboys.com/2010/03/percy-schmeiser-case.html
contamination: http://agron.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/5/1342 ,http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/seedreport_fullreport.pdf, http://www.saskorganic.com/oapf/np-28jun02.html
We the signed, are deeply alarmed by the secrecy surrounding the current round of CETA negotiations. Policies which are proven to do untold harm to economies, the environment and livelihoods, are being discussed without public consultation, which is unacceptable within a democracy.
The proposed agriculture regulations are completely unacceptable. They give undo power to seed corporations at the expense of farmers and the nation's food sovereignty. Farmers are already beleaguered by low world prices for their commodities and ever raising expenses. Tying them to expensive genetically modified seeds [which a growing body of evidences is indicating are unhealthy] that must be repurchased each year and need a costly regiment of chemicals to thrive is absurd. This will only drive farmers further into debt, limit their access to markets, cause greater numbers of foreclosures and suicides among them.
Genetically modified plants are no boon to farmers. The companies that hold patents are well known for their aggressive intrusiveness into the lives of farmers; surveillance, trespassing, spraying their fields with chemicals without the owners consent, as well as fostering mistrust among neighbors.
There have already been many aggressive campaigns against Canadian farmers who have infringed upon patent laws, often quite unintentionally. Evidence supports that GM seed cannot be contained within their proscribed fields. Pollen and seeds are easily bore by the wind into adjacent communities invading neighboring fields and contaminating their stock. These farmers then may be ruthlessly prosecuted, fined and have their seed seized despite being the ones having their land violated.
Canadians need to know what is being discussed in the CETA negotiations. We need our farmer%u2019s right to grow what and how they wish protected from corporations, and our access to safe non genetically modified food produce in Canada ensured.
Thank you for your time.
Links:
Health dangers: http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_544575.html
Disinformation of yield http://ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/science_and_impacts/science/failure-to-yield.html
Law suits http://www.enviroboys.com/2010/03/percy-schmeiser-case.html
Contamination: http://agron.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/95/5/1342 ,http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/food_and_agriculture/seedreport_fullreport.pdf, http://www.saskorganic.com/oapf/np-28jun02.html
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