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MPs listen to Canadians ahead of industry on GM Crops
Apr 15, 2010
Subject:    [cban e-News] Release: MPs listen to Canadians ahead of industry onGM CropsDate:    4/15/2010 10:44:50 AM

Press Release
 
MPs listen to Canadians ahead of industry on GM Crops
Groups applaud MPs for moving Bill C-474 to Committee for study
 
For Immediate Release

Ottawa. Thursday, April 15, 2010 – Last night, Parliament passed Private Members Bill C-474 through second reading, in spite of intense pressure from the biotech industry. The Bill, which would require analysis of potential harm to export markets before the sale of new genetically modified (GM) seeds, will now be studied by the House of Commons Agriculture Committee.
 
“Finally MPs are taking steps to protect farmers from the economic chaos that GM crops can cause,” said Terry Boehm, President of the National Farmers Union, “GM contamination has already seriously damaged major export markets for Canadian flax farmers and would threaten the markets for our alfalfa and wheat growers.”
 
The NDP and Bloc Quebecois supports the Bill and last night Liberal Party MPs voted to allow the Bill to go to this next stage. The Conservative Party strongly opposes the Bill, though two B.C. Conservative MPs voted in favour. The Bill was introduced by Alex Atamanenko, NDP Agriculture Critic and MP for B.C. Southern Interior.
 
“Last night, the majority of MPs listened to Canadians instead of the biotech industry,” said Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, “MPs will now have the opportunity to study and debate this Bill. We are witnessing the first substantive debate in Parliament over the negative impacts of GM crops.”
 
The biotech industry lobbied vigorously to stop the upcoming debate at Committee. Yet the strength of public and farmer concern over GM crops was apparent to MPs. Over 9000 thousand letters were sent from constituents in the past month asking MPs to support the Bill. At least 6 MPs were also presented with petitions.
 
Bill C-474 was supported by the National Farmers Union, which urged Parliamentarians and all Canadians, to support the Bill. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture took a cautious stance in favour of moving the Bill forward, to encourage debate at Committee.
 
“The current GM flax contamination crisis shows the value of this Bill. And the threat of GM alfalfa has made the Bill an urgent necessity,” said Sharratt. Canadian flax export markets closed in October 2009 when GM contamination was detected.
 
“We will not stand by and watch farmers struggle alone against the corporate juggernaut of biotechnology,” said Sharratt, “The time when Canadians are expected to accept GM crops without question, is over.”

-30-
 
For more information: Terry Boehm, National Farmers Union, 306 255 2880;  Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 613 241 2267 ext.6.



Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator 
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) 
Collaborative Campaigning for Food Sovereignty and Environmental Justice 
431 Gilmour Street, Second Floor 
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2P 0R5 
Phone: 613 241 2267 ext.6
Fax: 613 241 2506 
coordinator@cban.ca 

Your actions worked! MPs voted for Bill C-474! (it will now be studied by the Agriculture Committee.)
For more updates and action http://www.cban.ca/474

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Posted: Apr 15, 2010 7:53am
Where wedding ceremonies are followed by planting trees
Jan 28, 2009
Reading one wonderful story submitted on Care2 News, I came across this one, definitely worth sharing.  

Where wedding ceremonies are followed by planting trees

In this forest village of India, every marriage ceremony is followed by planting two trees, one by the bride and the other by the groom. This is an excellent medium for generating awareness among villagers regarding environmental issues.

Maiti Van is a campaign launched by WWF-India in the state of Uttaranchal under the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Program. Started in February 2006, this innovative program encourages marrying couples to plant saplings during their marriage ceremony.

Whenever there is a marriage in any of the TAL’s target villages, two saplings, one of fruit and the other of fodder species, are given by WWF-India, as a gift to the bride’s family. The bride and bridegroom plant the saplings on their wedding day. This activity has helped encourage plantation on private land in target villages.

The local community has readily accepted this new tradition and suggested that WWF-India also provide them with saplings on other occasions such as the namkaran samaroh (celebrations of giving name to a new born child), grahpravesh (celebrating entry into a new house) and many other auspicious occasions.

A local villager says,"We believe that if the plant is healthy and growing well then the newlywed daughter is also happy at her husband’s home”. This belief motivates people to take proper care of the growing trees.

Earlier planting tree species on the edges of fields was thought to  have a negative impact on crop but now the approach is changing. The innovative idea of Maiti van is having a positive impact on local communities and should bear fruit for the future generations.

Each sapling is a reminder of these important events.

We should all do it!

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Posted: Jan 28, 2009 7:57am

 
 
 
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