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Threat of GMO Garden Seeds

Farmers are warning home gardeners about genetically modified (GM or genetically engineered) garden seeds that could be released in Canada soon. Over 150 farmers in Ontario and British Colombia, many supplying local and organic markets, have signed a declaration opposing the sale of GM vegetable seeds. Read and share today’s press release.

The farmers are making their voices heard at the same time that Canada has approved a GM “Purple Tomato” for growing and eating. The company could start selling GM seeds and tomatoes soon. For information check our new GM Product Alert.

Take Action

Stand with these farmers and take action today. 

At home: Grocery stores are making their decisions right now about stocking new GM fruits and vegetables, and GM seeds – and we know that customer letters are very influential. Write to your grocery store today - Tell them not to sell the GM “Purple Tomato” or any other GM fruits and vegetables in the produce section, and not to sell any GM seeds in their store or garden centre. Click here for grocery store contacts to send your email today.

At your local Seedy Saturday event: Are you organizing or tabling at an event? Click here to order your "Stop GMO Garden Seed" pamphlets. 

For more actions and information see cban.ca/SeedsAction

The New Threat of GM Garden Seeds

A new threat to our seed system and food system is looming: Genetically modified (GM or genetically engineered) vegetable seeds could soon be sold to small growers and home gardeners in Canada for the first time.
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have approved a genetically engineered tomato, trademarked “The Purple Tomato”, from the small U.S. company called Norfolk Healthy Produce which was set up to market the product. Seeds of this GE tomato are already being sold to home gardeners in the U.S. The GM “Purple Tomato” is the first GM tomato approved for growing in Canada and, if sold in grocery stores, it would be the first GM tomato in Canadian produce sections since Monsanto removed the Flavr Savr™ tomato from the market in 1997 (the Flavr Savr™ is rumoured to have been briefly sold in one grocery store in Toronto in 1996…).
The sale of GM garden seeds constitutes a direct attack on organic food and farming, and a threat to Canada’s seed supply. If genetically modified garden seeds are sold, there is a high likelihood they will contaminate seed stocks and end up, unwanted, in gardens and on farms across Canada.
There are only three genetically modified fruits and vegetables currently on the market in Canada, with a very marginal presence in grocery stores: GM sweet corn, GM papaya, and GM pineapple. Until now, genetic engineering in our diets has been dominated by processed food ingredients from GM corn, GM canola, GM soy and GM sugar beet, but this could start to change.

The only genetically engineered vegetable currently grown in Canada is GE sweet corn, with seeds sold in quantities for larger-scale growers. The recently approved GE purple tomatoes and unregulated GE gene-edited salad greens from the company Bayer could be the first of the new products targeting small-scale farmers and home gardeners.
For more information:

 

Lucy Sharrat

Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator

coordinator@cban.ca

www.cban.ca

Donate today
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network

The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) brings together 15 organizations to research, monitor and raise awareness about issues relating to genetic engineering in food and farming. CBAN members include farmer associations, environmental and social justice organizations, and regional coalitions of grassroots groups. CBAN is a project of MakeWay's shared platform.

Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) 
PO Box 25182, Clayton Park Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3M 4H4
Phone: 902 209 4906 www.cban.ca 
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