Fionna Tough As farmers wrap up their seasons by finishing fall harvests, attending the last outdoor markets, and delivering the last fall Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes, salad greens remain an important, cold-hardy crop. For many, the early morning harvest and careful packing of tender greens continues right into the winter months. Meanwhile, farmers who… Keep Reading
By Lucy Sharratt WARNING: This seed packet could soon be full of undisclosed genetically modified (GM) seeds. The biotechnology industry is pushing to take over the regulation of genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) seeds and foods, and establish corporate self-regulation in place of government oversight. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food is considering letting… Keep Reading
Lucy Sharratt There is a lot of excitement about “gene editing,” or genome editing, in the media and research community. In the farm press, genome editing techniques are being widely described as precise and, in some cases, non-GMO. Neither is correct. Genome editing techniques can be used to alter the genetic material of plants, animals,… Keep Reading
CBAN’s New Public Education Tool to Support the Organic Solution Lucy Sharratt The gravity and gathering speed of the global climate and biodiversity crises threaten to paralyze many people who want to make meaningful change but don’t know where to start. Thankfully, organic farmers are already implementing concrete solutions that everyone can support. In the… Keep Reading
The Dangers of Investing in the Promise of the Techno-Fix Lucy Sharratt For 20 years, the world’s biggest seed and pesticide companies have profited from selling genetically modified (GM, also called genetically engineered) seeds that are tied to their brand name herbicide formulations. In fact, almost 100% of the GM crops now grown in Canada… Keep Reading
Legalizing “Low-Level Presence” of Unapproved GMOs Lucy Sharratt Contamination from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is a problem for some crop types. For example, most organic grain farmers in the Prairies stopped growing canola after GM contamination of seed became widespread, and Canada’s flax industry is still recovering from GM contamination that closed export markets. Rather… Keep Reading
