CAP Policy Proposal on GMOs – 1 30-6-14

                                              ( Genetically Modified Organisms )

                                                      ammended Sep 26 2014 

 

The Canadian Action Party (CAP) is aware that there exists a very great controversy regarding the growth and use of Genetically Modified . Prior to GMO,  a hybridizing system was the norm. Cross pollinating and grafting to produce better characteristics . GMO is different .

 

With GMO the very molecular makeup is drastically changed to the point that the human body may not recognize it as food .

There have been several reports of negative reactions to these modified foods. Some GMO create their own bio- toxins that stay in the food . If insects die from eating it what effect does that have on humans as well as animals?  Some say the bee die off is connected to the built in toxins.  Health effects like food intolerances, allergic reactions and even cancer are a concern.  What are the long-term effects and what are the effects on sensitive newborns and the unborn in the womb.  As far as we can tell no long term studies have been performed anywhere!

 

One of the economic concerns is who will be in control of the food supply.  When one company owns all the patented crops we are dependent on their good will. Even with good and little competition will we will have to pay their price.  GMO plants are tuned to be resistant to a particular pesticide. Farmers are then forced to buy from the GMO company.  If the GMO plants are sterile the farmers are then forced to by seed every year. Some pests are already becoming resistant to a particular GMO friendly pesticide.

 

Several countries have already banned GMO for the above reasons.  According to many reports, in India, over one hundred thousand farmers have committed suicide, because they were forced to rely on GMO seed crops. Many of which failed to thwart the blight they were told the GMO seeds were designed to do!  There was no recourse available to the farmers and many lost their land and livlihoods due to slow reaction of the legal system in India. Even today (2015) cases are still not heard despite world wide public outcries and activist documentaries outlining the problems with GMO crops. 
 

 

GMO‘s are different organisms (GMOs)

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That there are some undeniable advantages to the growing of many types of GMO crops is obvious.  Plants may root earlier, hold the soil more solidly, mature earlier, give greater yields, waste less nutrients on growing metre-long stalks, require much less fertilizer, require much less (admittedly poisonous) pesticides and herbicide sprays and take far less out of the soil which, after nearly a century of mechanized farming, is becoming steadily more depleted in many areas. Another advantage of many varieties of GMO crops is the fact that the plants being produced are themselves sterile as regards their own seed: they will not re-grow once they have been harvested from a field.

   

GMOs in fact may embody any or all of several levels of genetic technology before reaching a state in which they even are considered for commercial use. Some of these technologies include:

 

(1) tweaking an existing gene within the plant's own DNA to provide (a) a plant with a higher yield, (b) a plant which manufactures a smell to repel insects or a Bio Toxin to kill insect predators or some other beneficial result, (c) a plant which will root more solidly or (d) a plant which will mature earlier in the season

  

(2) introducing into the genetic structure of the plant genetic materials from other sources, which may include bacterial and animal genetic material.

 

Great concern has been expressed by many groups regarding the safety of any or all of these technologies. That at least a part of this concern has its origins in the political process is recognised, as is the fact that there exist other technologies of food production which would benefit immensely from the banning of all GMO crops.

 

Taking into consideration all of these factors, as well as for the continuing safety of the Canadian public and for the continuation of the economically-viable Canadian Agricultural system which provides huge quantities of food for export and industrial use, as well as consumption by the citizens of Canada has prompted us to adopt the following position:

 

C A P  feels the Canadian public have the right to choose which type of foods they want to consume.

Therefore: 

 

1. The Canadian Action Party demands that ANY and ALL products containing genetically-modified material be LABELLED plainly, the Label to appear on the Front or Side of the Package, be at least 10% in area and be in a colour or colours which contrast with the main colouration of the product label, thus becoming easy to see, and that this Label will contain the letters "GMO" in comparatively-large type with a Number beneath; this Number will refer to a nationally-accessible database which may be accessed by interested parties to determine the precise content of the package, the database to be operated and kept current by the Department of Agriculture of Canada and freely available on the Department's Internet site and by printed or other copy for those who wish a permanent record.

 

2. The Canadian Action Party demands that any and all genetically-modified organisms to be produced in Canada be inspected by the Canadian Department of Agriculture, the inspection to include growing the crop for at least TWO years at a Department of Agriculture Experimental Farm following upon the furnishing of the requisite Seed to the Department of Agriculture accompanied by ALL development and experimental data generated by the originating company in a spirit of FULL DISCLOSURE.

 

3. The Canadian Action Party demands that the Canadian Department of Agriculture must first approve ANY genetically-modified organism BEFORE it is allowed to be grown in Canada on a commercial basis and the Department will post the full results of its testing and evaluation on its Internet site and make this material available also in printed or other form for those wishing a permanent record.

 

4. The Canadian Action Party also demands an END to the practice of PATENTING any genetically-modified organism for the reason that these are forms of already-existing Life which merely have been MODIFIED. As such, they should not be eligible for PATENT protection although they may be afforded a lesser degree of protection as Registered Industrial designs.

 

5. The Canadian Action Party also demands that the Government of Canada be empowered to RELEASE any genetically-modified organism IN A REPRODUCING, NON-STERILE FORM from Registered Industrial Design protection after a period of seven (7) years of protection, given that the Government of Canada determine that it is in the best interests of the nation to do so.

 

 

It is the opinion of the Canadian Action Party that the above policy safeguards the rights and intellectual property of the designing agency and also provides for Government-operated and Government-supervised testing of the organisms and, at the same time, allows the Canadian Public to be informed not only that GMOs are in use, but precisely what KINDS of GMOs are in use, and to be able to research these at their own leisure and to determine their own course of action in a Free Society.

 

Access to SEEDS. International interests want to classify seeds as their intellectual property, meaning if you want to plant something that you can harvest and eat, first you have to pay the owner of the intellectual property a fee in order to gain access to the seed.

We the people of Canada should not have to pay a international or domestic entity a fee to grow food. That is wrong and it puts the food supply of Canada at risk, and in control of a small number of people.

The policy of the Canadian Action Party is not to allow any seed to be intellectual property for any reason.