EXCERPTS:

"A large coalition of Canada's groups from civil society including environmentalists, consumers and farmers... will file a petition signed by about 20 000 people demanding a moratorium on GE crop and food." (item 2)

"Canadian Government regulation of genetically engineered foods and crops is designed to support the biotechnology industry and approve products quickly so that corporations can sell their products. The result is an undemocratic and unsafe regulatory system." (item 1)
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1.Polaris Institute: Bio Justice Project - Regulation and Public Policy
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/reg_public_policy_index.htm
Corporations are working hard to capture government policy and regulation. Government decisions on genetic engineering are being made without democratic process and public input. Many national governments rely on weak regulation of GE to suit corporate interests, while heavily subsidizing the biotech industry. Internationally, trade agreements are being used to undermine any stringent regulations, and force GE products onto market.

Canadian Regulation

Canadian Government regulation of genetically engineered foods and crops is designed to support the biotechnology industry and approve products quickly so that corporations can sell their products. The result is an undemocratic and unsafe regulatory system.

New! October 21, 2004 : Genetically Modified Organisms and Precaution: Is the Canadian Government Implementing the Royal Society of Canada's Recommendations?
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/rsc_report.pdf
A Report on the Canadian Government's Response to the Royal Society of Canada's Expert Panel Report Elements of Precaution: Recommendations for the Regulation of Food Biotechnology in Canada.

For full report in pdf format, click here.
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/rsc_report.pdf
For English Executive Summary in pdf format, click here.
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/exec_sum_en.pdf

Booklet: "Regulating Genetic Engineering for Profit: A guide to corporate power and Canada's regulation of genetically engineered foods" in pdf format by Lucy Sharratt
The booklet includes a table of all GE crops approved in Canada and details on where on food shelves they are, or are not.

Factsheet: "Rigorous Regulation?" click here for pdf.
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/regulationfactsheet.pdf
Send this factsheet to your Member of Parliament or take it with you when you meet with them. Print this factsheet to give to your local grocery store manager, take it to community meetings and other gatherings.

Pamphlet: "Rigorous Regulation? How the Canadian Government Approves Genetically Engineered Foods and Crops Without Adequate Testing" click here for pdf format by Lucy Sharratt
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/regulationpamphlet.pdf
Use this one page pamphlet for information pickets outside grocery stores and other actions. "You might have heard our government tell you that GE foods and crops are "rigorously regulated". Loblaws and food companies might have told you to "trust the regulators". Find out how wrong they are".

Government Field Trials - "Save Agriculture Canada From Monsanto" :
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is using their public research centres across the country to test genetically engineered crops, including GE Wheat. As well as the environmental risks of contamination with these open air trials of commercial and experimental GE crops, Access to Information (ATI) documents obtained by Ottawa researcher Ken Rubin reveal that many of these tests are taking place with corporate funding. For ATI tables of research trials across the country and supplemental documents please click here.
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/bio_justice/reg_public_policy/action_apr_03_index.html
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2.Media Advisory - GE crops and Minority Government: A chance for a Policy based on Precaution ?

OTTAWA, Oct. 22 /CNW Telbec/ - A large coalition of canada's groups from civil society (1) including environmentalists, consumers and farmers demand that the House of Commons put rapidly in place a policy based on precaution concerning genetically engineered crop. A recent study from the Polaris Institute(2) confirmed that the federal government failed to take appropriate measures following the recommendations of the 2001 report of the Royal Society of Canada (3). The groups will file a petition(4) signed by about 20 000 people demanding a moratorium on GE crop and food.

WHERE: Charles Lynch Room, Center building of the House of Commons

WHEN : Monday 25 October 2004 at 11 am

NOTES
(1) Réseau québécois contre les OGM (les AmiEs de la terre de Québec, ACEF de Québec, l'Union des consommateurs, l'Union paysanne, Greenpeace, Equiterre, etc.), Council of Canadians, etc.
(2) See: http://www.polarisinstitute.org/
(3) Royal Society of Canada, Elements de précaution (2001),
http://www.rsc.ca//index.php?lang_id=1&page_id=119
(4) See text of the petition : http://membres.lycos.fr/rqcogm/ ,

For further information: Eric Darier, Greenpeace, Cell. (514) 605-6497,
(514) 933-0021 ext 15

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