The Canadian government’s Word files, on which the reform of the country's GMO regulations is presented, are authored by a director general of the CropLife Canada lobby group, Jennifer Hubert, who defends the interests of companies that market seeds, pesticides, and fertilisers. Among the recipients of the document presenting the reform project, which is under embargo, there are interest groups from the agri-food world, but also officials from Health Canada and Agriculture Canada. Among the recipients of the federal document was Vigilance OGM, an organisation that campaigns for transparency and application of the precautionary principle regarding GMOs. According to the organisation’s coordinator, Thibault Rehn, the name of CropLife Canada's director general is not there by chance. "Even if we do not know what part she had, it is still scandalous that the industry is at the origin of this document," he said. ”I understand that they are consulted, these people. But it is hoped that the government does not directly use the documents drafted by the lobbies of the GMO and pesticides as the basis for significant regulatory change." Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau admits it was “inappropriate” for civil servants and an agrichemical lobby leader to work in the same Word document on a reform aimed at overseeing a new generation of GMOs. In the wake of the controversy, Bibeau promised organic farmers the traceability of seeds resulting from gene editing. Oicanadian; Actualnewsmagazine.com

 

 

Locals from North Mountain, Nova Scotia, Canada are continuing to pressure local governments to stop the use of aerial glyphosate-based herbicide spraying around their communities. The residents are worried about the potential harms of this “probable carcinogen", which is sprayed on forested land from a helicopter. The herbicide kills any hardwoods growing in the area, leaving conifer trees for clearcuts. Residents are especially worried that dropping the herbicide from such a height could contaminate water and wildlife habitats beyond the borders of the approved sites. Halifax Examiner

 

 

International nonprofit the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) prohibits FSC member companies from using genetically engineered (GE) trees for commercial purposes, in certified or non-certified areas. However, FSC allows associated companies to conduct research field tests of GE trees in non-certified areas, a decision that has already allowed companies to advance their GE trees development. Now, FSC has launched a “genetic engineering learning process” that proposes to directly overseeing selected field tests of GE trees. Please sign the petition demanding that the FSC reaffirm its commitment to its policy that prohibits the use of GE trees globally. You can sign as an individual or as an organisation (provided you have the authority to do so), and wherever you are in the world. StopGETrees

 

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