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Reports

In 2015, CBAN embarked on a major investigation of the impacts and risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) after twenty years in Canada. Our GMO Inquiry reports are all accompanied by summary pamphlets that you can also download. Find them below or visit the GMO Inquiry project website. GMO Inquiry Cover Pages

Canada & US vs. Mexico’s Ban on GM Corn

Canada & US vs. Mexico’s Ban on GM Corn

January 29, 2024. Canada and the US are using the Canada-US-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA) to challenge Mexico’s new ban on genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) corn. Canada does not export any corn to Mexico, but the Government of Canada is participating in a trade dispute to force open the Mexican market.

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New proposals would eliminate transparency on GMOs in Canada

New proposals would eliminate transparency on GMOs in Canada

April 2022. Health Canada and the CFIA are proposing to remove government regulation for many new GMOs produced using the new genetic engineering techniques of genome editing (also called gene editing). If allowed to move forward, these changes would result in a profound lack of transparency on genetically engineered foods and seeds for Canadians.

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GMO Review

GMO Review

November 30, 2021. This GMO Review is a snapshot of the most up-to-date information on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Canada. Follow the links on each page for more in-depth information on that topic and to take action.

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GMOs in your grocery store: Ranking company transparency

GMOs in your grocery store: Ranking company transparency

December 2020. This report provides information to Canadians about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on the market and, in particular, the status of whole GM foods – fruits, vegetables, and fish – in Canada’s largest grocery chains. The report ranks Canada’s major grocery chains for their transparency about sales of genetically modified fruits and vegetables, and the GM salmon.

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“Golden Rice” – GM Vitamin-A Rice

“Golden Rice” – GM Vitamin-A Rice

November 2019: This report is a comprehensive examination of “Golden Rice”, so named because it has been genetically modified to produce betacarotene, which the body can convert into vitamin A. Golden Rice is being promoted as a solution to the serious problem of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in countries such as the Philippines and Bangladesh but it is not yet ready for farmers to grow or for people to eat, its beta carotene levels are low, it does not store well, and we still do not know whether it helps fight VAD. Golden Rice is expensive, unnecessary, and does not address the real problem.

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GMO Inquiry: Do We Need GM Crops to Feed the World?

GMO Inquiry: Do We Need GM Crops to Feed the World?

This sixth and final report of our GMO Inquiry examines the question “Do we need GM crops to feed the world?” We conclude that, while the argument that this technology can solve the problem of world hunger, or be a tool towards ending hunger, is compelling, it is in fact false. The report includes information from the five other reports of the GMO Inquiry, published over the course of 2015. The research in this report begins to look ahead to understand what role – if any – GM crops and foods should play in the future of our food and farming systems.

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GMO Inquiry: Are GM Crops and Foods Well Regulated?

GMO Inquiry: Are GM Crops and Foods Well Regulated?

This report examines how deeply untransparent Canada’s regulation of GMOs, even today. Despite twenty years of critique, Canada’s safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) foods, crops and animals is still a closed-door process that is based on information provided by industry – information that is kept confidential and not disclosed to the public or independent scientists.

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GMO Inquiry: Are GM Foods Better for Consumers?

GMO Inquiry: Are GM Foods Better for Consumers?

This third report in the GMO Inquiry examines the question of benefits for the “consumer” and examines the state of the scientific literature on human health safety questions. The report also discusses the answer to the question Why aren’t they labeled? Genetically modified foods were allowed onto grocery store shelves in Canada without labels, without meaningful public debate, without government testing, and without long-term animal feeding studies.

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GMO Inquiry: Where in the World are GM Crops and Foods?

GMO Inquiry: Where in the World are GM Crops and Foods?

In this first report of the GMO Inquiry 2015, we show what genetically modified (GM) crops are grown in Canada and around the world, where they are being grown, how much of each one is being grown, and where they end up in our food system. The Canadian government does not track this information, but we have investigated. Industry promotional materials commonly depict genetically modified crops being grown widely around the world, but this is not entirely true. In reality, four crops – corn, soy, cotton and canola – account for 99% of global GM acres.

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The Canadian Seed Trade Association’s so-called “Coexistence Plan” is a gateway to GM alfalfa contamination

The Canadian Seed Trade Association’s so-called “Coexistence Plan” is a gateway to GM alfalfa contamination

This 2013 Commentary and Technical Paper from CBAN and the National Farmers Union critiques the Canadian Seed Trade Association’s “coexistence plan,” designed to pave the way for Monsanto and Forage Genetics International to release genetically engineered alfalfa in Eastern Canada. The Eastern Plan as well as a Western Plan have since been finalized and very small amounts of GM alfalfa were planted in Eastern Canada in 2016 for the first time, but this analysis remains highly relevant.

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