Canada's Biofuels Mandate

Bill C-33, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, was passed in June 2008 in the midst of the new food crisis. The Bill allows the federal government to develop and implement regulations requiring 5% average renewable content in gasoline by 2010 as well as require 2% average renewable content in diesel and heating oil by 2012. Click here for more information and analysis.

Agrofuels and GE Trees

Biotechnology corporations are seriously promoting genetically engineered trees and new GE crops for use as biofuels (agrofuels). The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy September 10-12, 2008 Vancouver, British Columbia was all about genetic engineering and new technologies for biofuels - including, and explicitly, GE trees. The conference included the session “Cellulosic Ethanol from Softwoods Around the World” and the presentation “Biotechnology in Purpose-Grown Trees to Make Bioenergy Production" by ArborGen, the leading company researching GE trees.

This link with agrofuels was a major reason why the bid by African governments to establish an international moratorium on GE tree plantings was defeated at the United Natioin 2008.

“Fast growing, purpose-grown trees are an ideal feedstock platform for second generation bioenergy production…Producing renewable energy from purpose-grown trees is the latest step in the evolution of trees’ long and fruitful history and critical to meeting global bioenergy development needs.”
– from summary to BIO Conference presentation "Biotechnology in Purpose-Grown Trees to Make Bioenergy Production" in the session "New Feedstocks for Biofuels", a presentation from Barbara Wells of ArborGen.

Click here for more information on GE trees.

Other Information

The corporate "agrofuels" gold-rush has ignited a major global conflict / La ruée vers l’or des « agrocarburants » génère une crise globale. Find out why...

Click here to hear Pat Mooney on biofuels

Notice: CPAC recorded the April 30 panel in Ottawa and this will be broadcast on Saturday May 3 at 11:00AM. Video will then be available via www.cpac.ca

Stay tuned here for audio and video from the 6 events (Charlottetown, Halifax, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Ottawa, Montreal) April 28-May 2 2008. Click here to read about the speakers.

At the World Forum on Food Sovereignty, held in Mali in Africa, we and other delegates discussed how capital has manipulated terminology by adding the prefix “bio”, which signifies life, to renewable plant-based fuels. This is ridiculous, because all living things are “bio”. We could call ourselves bio-people, bio-John Smith, bio-soya, etc. Companies use the prefix “bio” to encourage the public to see their products as a good thing, as politically correct. So, at the international level, Vía Campesina has agreed to use more accurate terminology. These fuels and energy are produced from agricultural crops and so the correct terms are agrofuels and agro-energy.

- João Pedro Stedile is one of the leaders of the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST), Brazil’s Landless Movement

The top 10 seed corporations account for 55% of the commercial seed market worldwide (based on 2006 revenues). (Source: ETC Group)

The World's Top 10 Seed Companies - 2006
1. Monsanto (US)
2. Dupont (US)
3. Syngenta (Switzerland)
4. Groupe Limagrain (France
5. Land O' Lakes (US)
6. KWS AG (Germany)
7. Bayer Crop Science (Germany)
8. Delta & Pine Land (US) (acquisition by Monsanto since approved)
9. Sakata (Japan)
10. DLF-Trifolium (Denmark) $352
Source: ETC Group

Monsanto - the world's largest seed company - accounts for more than one-fifth of the global proprietary seed market. Click here to see more information about Monsanto including the new documentary " The World According to Monsanto."

The top 3 companies - Monsanto, Dupont and Syngenta - account for $8,552 million - or 44% of the total proprietary seed market.

ETC Group publishes reports on major trends in corporate agendas to control nature.

New! November 2009 "Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use in the United States: The First Thirteen Years" by Charles Benbrook

Once genetically engineered organisms are released into the environment, they cannot be recalled and they cannot be controlled.

• June 2009: CBAN Briefing Note: Genetically Engineered Crops: Irreversible harm to natural ecosystems

March 2010: The University of Guelph in Ontario Canada has developed Enviropig™The University holds patents in the US and China. Environment Canada has just approved the “new activity” of the production of the pigs in a controlled facility, segregated from other animals.

Enviropig™ is a genetically engineered to produce the enzyme phytase in order to digest plant phosphorus more efficiently, resulting in feces with less phosphorus.

Click to download our factsheet. Please contact us to share your information or ask your questions.

The company Aquabounty has genetically engineered Atlantic salmon to grow up to 4 times faster than normal and has submitted the fish for regulatory approval in the United States but not yet in Canada. The fish could be approved anytime but the company says they should get approval in the US in 2009.

Canadian regulators are not prepared to evaluate GE fish properly. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has abandoned its own work to develop policy on GE fish (see the Auditor General's report).

Did you know that there are already GE-Free Zones in Canada?

• In 2004, Powell River in BC became the first GE Free Zone in the country.
• The Village of Kaslo (January 13, 2009), the City of Rossland (May 11, 2009) and the City of Nelson (November 3, 2008) in BC have all passed GE Free Resolutions.

The Society for a GE Free BC with GE Free Kootenays, and GE Free Yukon are working hard to secure GE Free Zones.

City of Rossland, B.C. Adopts G.E. Free Resolution

May 11, 2009: “Moved by Councillor Charlton / Seconded by Councillor Spearn

THAT the City of Rossland oppose the cultivation of genetically engineered plants and trees, by using transgenic engineering, in the municipality; and that the City of Rossland will not purchase genetically engineered plants and trees for its own use; and that the City of Rossland agrees to revisit the resolution as pertinent new information becomes available that affects this resolution; and the City of Rossland shall forward copies of this resolution to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Union of B.C. Municipalities, Interior Health, B.C. Ministry of Health, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, B.C. Provincial Health Officer, the Prime Minister of Canada, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, CropLife Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, local MLA and MP offices and any interested and related groups. “

City of Nelson Passes GE-Free Resolution

November 3, 2008: "The City of Nelson does not support the cultivation of genetically engineered plants and trees in the Municipality of Nelson and further that council will not purchase for its own operations GE plants or trees. The City of Nelson agrees to revisit this as pertinent new information becomes available that affects this resolution and further that the City of Nelson shall forward copies of the resolution to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Union of BC Municipalities, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada, CropLife Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, local MLA and MP offices and any interested and related groups for comment."

June 9, 2009: Dangerous Genetically Engineered (GE) Eucalyptus Trees on Fast-Track to Large-Scale Release in the U.S.

Take Action

Tell the USDA NO WAY to ArborGen's Eucalyptus Frankentrees. Deadline July 6, 2009.

Groups can sign the Comments to the USDA prepared by the STOP GE Trees Campaign. Click here to sign the comments.

Groups can sign on to the demand in Canada to ban GE trees: Click here to sign on

In an unprecedented move toward commercial large-scale release of GE forest trees in the United States, GE tree giant ArborGen is petitioning the U.S. government to be allowed to plant an estimated 260,000 flowering GE eucalyptus trees across seven southern U.S. states on 330 acres in so-called "field trials."

The mass-planting of 260,000 flowering GE eucalyptus trees is a major step toward the unregulated development of large-scale GE eucalyptus plantations in the U.S. ArborGen has already requested permission for the commercial planting of GE cold tolerant eucalyptus clones across the U.S. South. The U.S. government is expected to issue their decision on this later this year.

U.S. government approval of GE eucalyptus trees will set a dangerous precedent to allow other experimental GE forest trees, including poplar and pine, that would inevitably and irreversibly contaminate native trees with destructive GE traits, devastating forest ecosystems and wildlife. Once GE trees escape, there is no way to call them back.

The only way to stop genetic contamination of native forests is to ban the commercial release of GE trees before it is too late.

Groups can sign on to the demand to ban GE trees: Click here to sign on

47 groups signed the letter to the Government of Canada with the following demands:
Click here to see the full letter
Click here to just view the list of 47 groups.

For the health and future of Canada’s forest ecosystems and those around the world:

1. We, the undersigned, ask for an end to existing field trials in Canada and an end to approvals for field trials of genetically engineered trees in Canada.

2. We ask for an end to the use of public funds for field-testing and an end to field-testing at government research stations.

3. We call upon the Canadian Government to support a global moratorium on field testing, planting and commercial use of genetically engineered trees because of the serious risks they pose to biological diversity and to forest ecosystems in Canada and across the world.Sign on here.

Background

Field Trials in Canada:
o In Canada, there have been only one or two field trials in any given year since 1997.
o Since 2000, open-air field tests have only been carried out by government researchers at the Canadian Forest Service, not by private companies.
o Currently (2008) there is only one open-air trial in Canada, on a genetically engineered poplar, at the Laurentian Forestry Centre in Quebec.

• Genetically Engineered Trees: Basic Background
• "GE Trees, Cellulosic Biofuels & Destruction of Forest Biological DIversity Feb 2008 (pdf 10 pages)

“GE trees have the potential to wreak ecological havoc throughout the world’s native forests. GE Trees could also impact wildlife as well as rural and indigenous communities that depend on intact forests for their food, shelter, water, livelihood and cultural practices. As a geneticist, I believe there are far too many unknown and unanswered questions to be growing genetically engineered plants— food crops or trees—in open fields. GE trees should not be released into the environment in commercial plantations and any outdoor test plots or existing plantations should be removed." -- Dr. David Suzuki

Provincial Opposition:
o In Alberta: The Alberta Forest Genetic Resources Council “does not recommend the use of GMOs for reforestation at this time”
o In British Columbia: The Ministry of Forests and Range “has ensured that no genetically modified tree seed has been registered or used” on crown land.

“GE trees have the potential to wreak ecological havoc throughout the world’s native forests. GE Trees could also impact wildlife as well as rural and indigenous communities that depend on intact forests for their food, shelter, water, livelihood and cultural practices. As a geneticist, I believe there are far too many unknown and unanswered questions to be growing genetically engineered plants— food crops or trees—in open fields. GE trees should not be released into the environment in commercial plantations and any outdoor test plots or existing plantations should be removed." -- Dr. David Suzuki

The Canadian Forest Service is conducting field trials of GE poplar in Quebec – trials that may already pose contamination threats to Canadian forests. Even without these trials, the field trials currently underway in the United States could pose a significant threat to Canadian forest ecosystems. This is one reason why CBAN collaborates closely with our colleagues in the US.

GE trees pose a greater threat of contamination than seen with GE crops, largely because trees live for decades, have so many nearby wild relatives and their pollen travels hundreds of miles. The scenario of contamination from trees genetically engineered to be insect resistance via Bt (as in recent government field trials in Quebec), for example, warns of serious biodiversity impacts as Bt targets lepidoptera, a main food source for many birds.

Natural Resources Canada is discussing the use of “Terminator technology” (genetically engineered sterile seed technology) to contain genetic pollution from GE trees. This raises a new level of concern since Terminator would not function 100% but would create new risks from the spread of Terminator genes and sterility traits, for example.

Report from the UN Meeting May 2008

Governments at the UN meeting in May 2008 failed to ban GE trees You can read the CBAN Daily Blog from the UN meeting in Germany to find out what exactly happened Read the Press Release from May 22: Canada Tries to Eliminate Moratorium Request on GE Trees

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity could have established an international moratorium on the field testing and commercial release of GE trees at the major COP9 meeting May 19-30 in Germany. But Canada, Brazil, and Colombia, with Australia and New Zealand worked against this proposal from African countries.

CBAN joined with international partners to present the potential negative impacts of GE Trees.

• Click here to read the CBAN briefing to the United Nations meeting. (6 pages)
• This briefing is a critique of the background document prepared by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. (17 pages)
• CBAN has also signed the international open letter demanding a ban on genetically engineered (GE) trees.

CBAN is a Steering Committee Member of the North American Stop GE Trees Campaign and is working with colleagues across the world in the call for a ban on GE trees.

Science and technology are not value neutral. Advances in science and technology are often the results of human activity imbued with intention and purpose and embodying the perspectives, purposes and particular objectives of powerful social groups. Current technologies do not equally benefit all segments off society and are not meant to do so. To maximize public support for technological developments and to minimize opposition, technology proponents rarely acknowledge, for example, the distributional inequities and ramifications of what they are proposing.

- From Science and the Disadvantaged, Dr. Gregor Wolbring, Occasional Paper, The Edmonds Institute, 2000.