Press Releases
Newly released e-mails show extent of industry influence over Health Canada decision to gut regulatory oversight of GM foods
Wednesday, September 27, 2023. Documents received via Access to Information show that the biotechnology and pesticide industry lobby group CropLife Canada worked in a joint committee with federal government departments called the “Tiger Team” to design new regulatory guidance on genetically engineered foods and crops (genetically modified organisms or GMOs). The new guidance removes government oversight, including government safety assessments, from many new GMOs.
Federal government allows biotechnology companies free reign in the food system, removes safety checks on corporate science and denies transparency to farmers and food companies
May 3, 2023: The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has approved changes to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulatory guidance that, along with similar changes permitted by the Minister of Health in May of 2022, allow product developers to assess the safety of their own genetically modified (GM or genetically engineered) seeds and foods without government oversight.
Forest Stewardship Council Backs Away from Genetic Engineering Following Global Campaign Calling on them to Uphold their Ban on GE Trees
April 4, 2023. The Board of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the world’s leading forest product certifier, decided [1] at their March meeting to back away from a process that critics charge would have put forests at risk and would have opened the door to overturning FSC’s long-time core certification policy that prohibits the commercial use of genetically engineered trees.
AquaBounty to stop producing GM salmon in Canada, as world’s first GM food animal struggles to find a market
February 7, 2023. In a major turn-around, the US company AquaBounty says it will stop producing its controversial genetically modified (GM or genetically engineered) Atlantic salmon in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada.
Federal government abandons safety assessments and transparency for new gene-edited foods
May 18, 2022, Halifax – Consumer, environmental, and farmer groups across Canada are denouncing an announcement today from Health Canada that will allow private companies to release many new genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) foods without any...
Federal ministers urged to reject proposals to remove government safety checks of some GMOs as new polling confirms most Canadians want public regulation
April 28, 2022 – The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) is renewing its call for the federal Ministers of Health and of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Jean-Yves Duclos and Marie-Claude Bibeau, to reject proposals to remove government oversight of some...
World’s first ecosystem contamination from GM fish adds to Canadian concern
February 23, 2022, Halifax, Ottawa, Sutton - For years, environmental groups in numerous countries have warned about the potential escape of genetically engineered animals into the wild. Now it has happened. Researchers in Brazil have published a paper documenting the...
Health Canada abandons regulation of new GM foods, negotiates voluntary transparency with biotechnology companies
December 8, 2021, Halifax - Consumer, environmental, and farmer groups across Canada are denouncing new regulatory changes expected to be published today by Health Canada that will allow private corporations to release onto the market many new genetically engineered...
Calls for government transparency on GMO foods redouble as research reveals concern and government proposes regulatory change
October 20, 2021. Halifax. Today, seven agriculture, food, and consumer groups asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure transparency and continued government oversight of all genetically engineered foods and seeds (genetically modified organisms or GMOs) in...
Civil society coalition raises alarm over safety and transparency as Health Canada proposes to abandon oversight of some new GMOs from gene editing
May 11, 2021: Today, the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) submitted its objections to proposals from Health Canada that would allow product developers to assess the safety of some genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) foods, particularly some produced through genome editing (also called gene editing) with no government oversight.
