If the Americans can do it, so can Canadians! (2013-05-20 Monsanto Protection Act May Soon be Repealed Thanks to Activism)
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is about to make significant regulatory changes to Seed Variety Registration in Canada. There will be MORE corporate control of seeds.
Take a minute to help out. It is REALLY IMPORTANT! Deadline is May 23rd.
See CBAN: http://www.cban.ca/Resources/Topics/GE-Crops-and-Foods-Not-on-the-Market/Alfalfa (text below).
(The text is from farmer point-of-view. But GMO food is everyone’s concern.)
FOR MY PART:
- I left a phone message for Mr. Scheffel (613-773-7142).
- Easy: you can send a well-crafted message from the CBAN website, just add your name and address.
Do not use my words (following)! I grow impatient:
Mr. Scheffel,
On May 25th I am going to be marching in the streets of Saskatoon, joining others around the Globe in the March Against Monsanto.
My contribution is to draw attention to the role of the Universities in the development of GMO foods. And to the corrupting ways of the chem-biotech corporations.
The proposed amendments to the Seed Regulations are obscene. They draw the fury to the role of the bureaucrats.
Yours truly,
Sandra Finley
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Stop Corporate Control Over Our Seeds
Urgent Action Alert – Deadline Thursday May 23, 2013
Click here to send your letter instantly
The National Farmers Union asks you to submit your letter to stop the significant regulatory changes to Seed Variety Registration in Canada. These changes will:
- Permit companies to take seed varieties off the market whenever they like, which will increasingly force farmers to use only varieties subject to royalties under the Plant Breeders Rights Act or varieties with gene patents.
- Empower companies to introduce new varieties of soybeans and forage crops – including alfalfa – that have not been field-tested for merit and which therefore may not provide any benefit to farmers.
- Allow seed companies to transfer to farmers’ shoulders all risks of poor seed/crop performance when planting varieties that have not been field-tested by independent third parties.
- Transfer decision-making about which new varieties are introduced, and when, from a transparent, publicly accountable process based on expert advice offered by Recommending Committees to a behind-closed-door process controlled by private seed companies.
- Letting companies de-register varieties will permit companies to unilaterally stop farmers from accessing and using perfectly good varieties developed through long-term collaboration among farmers, public plant breeders and international seed collections.
For more information view the action alert from the National Farmers Union.
Dear Dr. Scheffel:
It would appear that the proposed changes are to the benefit of corporations and to the detriment of farmers and consumers. Your Agency is supposed to be there to protect consumers. Don’t fix what isn’t broken. Don’t yield to corporate pressure. Who is the CFIA working for?
Enough !!!
Stop this insanity please!!!!!!
Thank you.
Dr. Mr. Scheffel
I want to stop the corporations from telling the farmers What & How to plant certain types of seeds. I want the Farmers to Plant what they want to plant. The government should not Allow the use of GMO this is Killing People all over the World
STOP NOW PLEASE.
The cost of food is more costly than ever and have noticed most groceries and large stores that used to carry a large variety of seeds no longer do. It is frightening to think that people can not have their own gardens or the prospect of not seeing any more community gardens as a result of kill seeds and no seeds being available to the general public in future. It is important to support local farmers, community gardeners, and community based businesses that sell no GMO seeds and plants.
Stop the madness
As a Canadian, I demand informed and ethical decision makers earn our respect and their salaries by working at protecting our best interests. Food is sustainance. It is a basic human need. If you assault integrity and compromise the capacity of our Canadian growers to supply us with quality seeds, produce, grains or livestock in any way, it demonstrates you are not equipped to make policy, laws, nor advocate on behalf of our Country. It signals you know less than we do. It signals you care less than we do. It signals you are less than who we are. Clearly, Canada is without leadership if Corporate control over this industry even poses a remote threat. We are unable to follow leaders who do not exist.
Stop this travesty. Protect the farmers and the consumers as you are mandated to do.
Dr. Mr. Scheffel
I want to stop the corporations from telling the farmers What & How to plant certain types of seeds. I want the Farmers to Plant what they want to plant. The government should not Allow the use of GMO this is Killing People all over the World
STOP NOW PLEASE.