In a news release, the CFIA states that the temporary policy is in place while it reviews and modernizes its current food labelling rules.

In the meantime, CFIA has defined the term local [...]]]> By: Allison Finnamore

Progressive Conservative MPP Bob Bailey (Sarnia-Lambton) introduced the bill, Taxation [...]]]>

Background:  
On May 7, 2013 the National Farmers Union issued an action alert asking concerned farmers and allies to submit comments about regulatory changes to Seed Variety Registration.
[...]]]>

The Genetic Engineering committee of the Ecological Farmers of Ontario has issued this Action Alert to help Ontario farmers take action on proposed amendments to Seed Variety Registration.

Background:  
On May 7, 2013 the National Farmers Union issued an action alert asking concerned farmers and allies to submit comments about regulatory changes to Seed Variety Registration.
The notice of public input on Regulations Amending the Seeds Regulations was published in the Canada Gazette Part 1 Vol. 147, No. 10 – March 9, 2013.
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2013/2013-03-09/html/reg1-eng.html

Deadline for submissions is May 23, 2013.

All submissions must:

• cite the Canada Gazette, Part 1 and the date of the publication of notice, March 9, 2013 (link above)
• be addressed to:

Michael Scheffel,
National Manager, Seed Section,
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0Y9

fax:  613-773-7144
email:  Michael.Scheffel@inspection.gc.ca

What are the proposed changes:

1. to move registration of soybeans and all forages (including alfalfa) from Part I of Schedule III to Part III of Schedule III under the Seed Regulations and;
2. to permit registrants to cancel a variety’s registration without providing any reasons or public notice.

What is the difference between Part I of Schedule III and
Part III of Schedule III?
Under Part I before a new variety is registered it must:

1.  meet certain merit criteria, ( e.g. perform as well as or better than reference varieties)
2.  be recommended by a Recommending Committee of experts familiar with the crop
3.  assessed for performance and disease susceptibility through multi-year field trials at multiple locations.

Under Part III a variety can be registered without field-testing or proof of merit.  The registering company can submit basic variety registration information directly to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).  CFIA’s role essentially changes to processing paperwork provided by the seed companies.

What are some of the concerns for ecological farmers with the move of soybeans and forages from Part I to Part III?

• the variety registration field trials provide farmers with fair, transparent, multi-year, scientific performance data which is evaluated by an independent committee of experts (the Recommending Committee);
• since forage plantings are expected to produce for several years it is important to have access to reliable information on performance and disease susceptibility of new varieties prior to planting a new variety;
• the change to Part III will place more responsibility (risk) on farmers to decipher the performance claims made by seed sellers;
• the change could allow quicker registration of GM alfalfa.

What are some of the concerns for ecological farmers with the change to allow registrants to cancel a variety’s registration?
Currently, the CFIA suspends a variety’s registration, based on criteria in the Seeds Regulation.  The proposed changes will allow the variety’s registrant to cancel the registration without providing reasons or public notice and there is no mechanism in place for another entity to take over the responsibility for the variety to continue to make it available.

At present, farmers can grow, save, re-use and sell older varieties as ‘common seed’ without paying royalties or license fees.  The proposed change will provide an incentive for seed companies to de-register varieties before the royalty period (18 years) is over.  Farmers may lose access to varieties that work well on ecological and organic farms and to non-GM varieties.  The number of varieties available to farmers who grow non-GM crops has declined over the past decade.  Allowing seed companies to cancel registrations without cause or explanation will accelerate this trend.  In addition, there will be an overall loss of agricultural biodiversity, as older varieties are de-registered.

What can you do?

• submit comments to CFIA at the address above; the Seeds Regulations were implemented to protect the interests of Canadian farmers and consumers. The CFIA should continue to serve the interests of the public, not seed companies;
• note the importance to farmers of multi-year field trials evaluated by an independent Recommending Committee.  Rather than eliminating the requirement for these trials, the evaluation by Recommending Committees should be enhanced by including field trials under low-input conditions;
• note the importance of maintaining registration of older varieties which may be more adapted to ecological and organic farms, are not patented GM varieties and contribute to agricultural biodiversity;
• ask for an appeal mechanism which farmers and the public can use in regard to variety registration and de-registration.

For more information:

• The National Farmers Union’s submission to CFIA: http://www.nfu.ca/story/nfu-comments-regulations-amending-seeds-regulations
•  The Proposed Regulations: http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2013/2013-03-09/html/reg1-eng.html#reg
• The CFIA’s Regulatory Impact Statement: http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2013/2013-03-09/html/reg1-eng.html#rias

In the [...]]]> By: Frank Rijsberman

As a lifelong scientist I have attended climate change meetings for over 30 years. Our aim was to convince scientists and policymakers to take climate change seriously. The message was: ‘Take action now, to leave a better world for your grandchildren.’

In the past, many of my colleagues working in development were not convinced – poor and hungry people cannot afford to worry about climate change. Such was the conventional wisdom.

The conference on “Hunger-Nutrition-Climate Justice” that I attended in Dublin this month has shown a hugely significant development. Finally, grassroots activists, smallholder farmers, pastoralists and fishermen are being given a voice and placed at the centre of climate change discussions.

Participants from 60 countries, many from Africa and Asia, were not discussing some vague threat in the distant future, but the serious challenges of managing risks to their livelihoods from extreme weather events, droughts, floods and hurricanes happening today. Evidently, climate change has caught up with us.

To read further click here…

Saturday May 25 & Sunday May 26
Centre for Social Innovation – Annex, Toronto

A strategic forum on unleashing the strength of social finance and impact investing for food, farm and fish [...]]]> Food, Farms, Fish and Finance: Exploring the delicious, diverse and delicate potential for social finance and impact investing in our food system

Saturday May 25 & Sunday May 26
Centre for Social Innovation – Annex, Toronto

A strategic forum on unleashing the strength of social finance and impact investing for food, farm and fish entrepreneurs. The forum will connect social finance leaders with investors and entrepreneurs to build a stronger food economy and sustainable food system. This is an action-oriented forum with opportunities to learn from leaders in the field and participate in strategic conversations to move key issues forward.

You may  open a PDF with event description and agenda here.

For more information and registration, please visit www.sustainontario.ca/foodfinance.

For more information:  foodfinance@sustainontario.ca.

With the mega quarry shelved, opponents say they’ll keep fighting until they get permanent protection for farmland in Ontario.