Canadian GMO Foods

GE Crops Canada
It has been 15 years since genetically engineered crops and foods were first introduced into Canada without public debate. Today, over half of Canada’s corn and soy is genetically modified. The majority of canola grown in Canada is GM. All three GMO ingredients are in processed food ingredients such as corn starch, soy lecithin, found in chocolate bars, and canola oil.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada have approved over 50 varieties of 12 GE crops and foods under their category of "Plants with Novel Traits" and "Novel Foods". Of those that are GE crops, they are engineered to be either insect resistant or herbicide tolerant. Many now carry both traits.

GE Crops Globally
2011: GM crops (predominately corn, soy, and cotton) are confined to a handful of countries with highly industrialized, export-oriented agricultural sectors. Nearly 90% of the area planted to GM crops in 2010 was found in five countries in North and South America, with 78% in the US, Argentina and Brazil. The United States plants 45% of the world’s GM crops.

GE Crops in Europe
2011: The only GE crop currently cultivated in the EU is Monsanto's insect resistant (Bt) corn (MON810). In 2010, GE corn was produced in the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia on a cultivation surface of about 82 000 hectares equaling a 13% decrease compared to 2009. Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg have all banned the use and sale of the MON 810 GE corn due to concerns about its long term effects.

Related Posts

  • On The Wind
    Bullying tactics aside, the way of Nature is indisputable. The genetic modification of a plant must, by Nature’s logic, lead to the synchronous genetic modification of the flower’s pollen. When that selfish gene gets onto wind where it can freely invade pristine farmlands havoc begins.
  • Death by Nutrition
    Both the medical and independent scientific community have declared a nutritional pandemic and the forecast for our children is not promising.
  • The Black Swan
    Between 1995 and 2004 the US Geology Department took on a monumental task. In the most comprehensive river study to be carried out to date, they surveyed 16 species in nine river systems over nine years.

Resources

Rethink Food

The average consumer believes they are not very powerful - but the exact opposite is true. Corporations deliver what the consumer demands. The average meal purchased from your supermarkets travels 1500 miles to arrive at your dinner table. You can change the industrial food system with every bite.
  • Vote with your purchasing dollar
  • Read the food label
  • Buy only from companies that treat workers, animals and the environment with respect.
  • Choose foods that are in season and locally grown.
  • Buy organic or naturally grown food
  • Shop at farmers' markets
  • Cooking is fun and easy. Make the time to cook a meal
  • Our government agencies are supposed to protect us. Tell them to enforce food safety standards.

Citizen's Science - Be Involved

Wildflower Initiatives
There are over 20,000 species of wildflowers in North America belonging to 300 different families. Kissing cousins to the flowering food crops that end up on our dinner table, their colour and beauty grace our landscapes. From the delightful eye candy of wildflower fields to a groaning board full of culinary delights, honeybees make it all happen. Today half of the world-wide honeybee population has vanished.

Often there appears to be a great divide between ecological problems and probable solutions. Not in this case. Without honeybees diversity rich food sources which are naturally grown are in jeopardy. But we can turn things around using practical applications that are accessible to everyone. We just have to shift perspective - abit. Please join us.