Good News for Ban Terminator Campaign

Wed, Nov 28, 2007

RightOnCanada.ca E-Bulletins

November 28, 2007

Dear friend,

RightOnCanada.ca has been campaigning for most of this year to halt Canada’s promotion of genetically engineered food and related technologies.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I wanted to let you know about two positive developments.

As you may know, Canada is one of the largest producers of Genetically Modified crops in the world. Canada has been called part of the “Axis of Evil” for its past efforts, at meetings under the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity,  to overthrow the international moratorium on Terminator seed.

Terminator seed is genetically engineered so as to become sterile after one harvest. It is part of a strategy by Monsanto and agribusiness to privatize the world’s seed supply and require farmers to purchase GM seeds every year from agribusiness corporations.

1.4 billion people around the world depend on farmer-saved seeds, which are crucial for their food security and for the planet’s biodiversity.Here are two recent positive breakthroughs in the fight for food security and biodiversity:

1) The EU’s Environment Commissioner, Savros Dimas, wants to ban two types of GM corn because they pose “unacceptable” risks for the environment (see article below). Separate studies have suggested that the GM plants’ insecticide harms butterflies and gets into streams, where it poisons aquatic life. “This could and should be the beginning of the end for GM crops in Europe,” says Clare Oxborrow, GM campaigner for Friends of the Earth. 2) 80% of British Columbians want mandatory labelling of GM foods. NDP MLA, Gregor Robertson, has just introduced “Right to Know” legislation, which would make BC the first province in Canada to require GM food to be labelled. Phone or email Premier Gordon Campbell telling him you want the “Right to Know” legislation passed (phone: 250 387-1715; email:premier@gov.bc.ca).

If you havent already done so, please take a moment to urge Stephen Harper to adopt Bill C-448 to ban Terminator seeds in Canada. 

Kathleen Ruff  Founder of RightOnCanada.ca 

Peggy Taylor I’m 91 years old. All my life I’ve worked actively for peace and justice and I’m never going to stop! Together we can make a difference and create a better Canada and a better world.

Pauline Mahoney I support RightOnCanada. I believe we have an obligation to speak out against human rights violations here in Canada and all over the world.

Becky Jenney I support RightOnCanada as an advocate for human rights in Canada and around the world.

Resources:  Institute for Responsible Technology, Company Research on Genetically Modified Foods is Rigged”  

“Good Crop/Bad Crop: Seed Politics and the Future of Food in Canada” by Devlin Kuyek

  RightOnCanada.ca is a project of the Rideau Institute.  For information, please contact:    operations@rideauinstitute.ca  30 Metcalfe Street, Suite 500   Ottawa, ON K1P 5L4 Canada  Tel. 613-565-4994 Fax. 613-565-7720  www.rideauinstitute.caIf you received this newsletter through a friend, please consider becoming a subscriber.  The Rideau Institute is a public interest research organization federally incorporated as a not-for-profit organization with Industry Canada under the Canada Corporations Act. Unfortunately, donations to the Rideau Institute are not tax deductible.

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