Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

I found this online....

 

How To Avoid Gentically Engineered Food - A Greenpeace Shoppers Guide

 

Check out Greenpeace has published a Canadian guide listing specific food products that contain GMOs. http://gmoguide.greenpeace.ca/shoppers_guide.pdf

Views: 123

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Just finished listening to an interview with Patrick Moore, ex Greenpeace scientist, that was posted on Farms.com (http://agvisiontv.farms.com/default.aspx?vid=vid_1272010153253000). He has become a poster boy for the backlash against environmentalists. Too bad he has swung too far the other way. While I agree with some of his criticisms, his arguments are simplistic. Threats from pesticides and GMOs go beyond concerns about cancer to concerns about nervous disorders, allergies, and so on.

True Greenpeace and other orgs like PETA are overly confrontational and sensationalist and end up alienating more pragmatic environmentalists. However, this guide from Greenpeace is a good indication that they are redefining themselves and engaging in practical work. It is a useful guide for people whether they are concerned about GMOs for health, ecological or ethical reasons. Whether GMOs are a real threat or not, foods containing them should be labeled. Since they are not, this guide helps people be informed. I am actually surprised by how many options there are to buy foods not containing GMOs.

Dr. Moore's support for GMOs is disappointing though. It is not unequivocal that GMOs are inherently safe. Admittedly, I am not a scientist and not up to date on all GMO related science, but there are health concerns about allergies, and the fact that GE DNA permeate the entirety of GM plants and thus are absorbed into the cells of those who consume the plants. In other words, GE DNA are persistent. This may impact the body in many unpredictable ways. Then there is the persistence in the environment which leads to resistance: Amaranthus has developed resistance to glyphosate, canola is becoming a superweed, moths may develop resistance to Bt, etc. These are real proven concerns. Of course, there is also the debate that GE is a tool for profiteering for Pharmaceutical companies. I personally don't want to make such broad accusations, but while I am sure most supporters of GE have good intentions for farmers and eaters, profiting and control may also be a driving force.

Dr. Moore talks about Golden Rice. Here is an area where I do have some knowledge as I have done research in Asian countries about traditional ag practices. Vitamin A deficiency became a problem with the Green Revolution. While the Green Rev made huge breakthroughs in increasing production of staples such as rice, in the process it destroyed very nutritionally important "uncultivated" foods. Prior to this time, farmers collected weeds and other leafy greens and even fish and frogs from rice paddies. These were significant sources of nutrition including protein and VITAMIN A. Herbicides and pesticides and fertilizers destroyed this source of food nutrition. So Golden Rice is not a solution: it treats a symptom and compounds a problem.

In term of other pesticides, again, the threat is more than just cancer but other health concerns. But there is also the toll on the environment: destroying soil life and structure which leads to erosion and pest problems, and the destroying of water quality, not just for water life, but for human use.

Of course, this discussion can go on and on, and I am not the one in a position to argue with Dr Moore as I am not a scientist, but I am not naive either.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Scouting and Managing Resistant Weeds in Ontario

Ontario farmers encouraged to scout fields now to assess weed control, identify resistant species, and plan integrated strategies for next season to protect yields.

New ASF vaccine shows promise against some strains but little to no protection against others

An international team of scientists has found that a promising African swine fever (ASF) vaccine can protect pigs against some strains of the virus but offers little or no protection against others. The findings point to the need for region-specific vaccines to tackle one of the world’s most devastating animal diseases. The research, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Plum Island Animal Disease Center and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), tested a commercial live-attenuated vaccine candidate, ASFV-G-?I177L, against several African swine fever virus (ASFV) strains collected from across Africa. Results showed that while the vaccine was highly effective against certain strains, its performance varied widely depending on the virus type. ASF is a highly contagious and often fatal disease affecting domestic and wild boars, with no global commercially licensed vaccine available. The disease is endemic in many parts of Africa and, over recent years, outbr

January-June Farm Cash Receipts Up 3.3%

Canadian farm cash receipts through the first two quarters of 2025 were up slightly from the same period a year earlier, thanks mainly to strong livestock returns. A Statistics Canada report Friday pegged total farm cash receipts in the January-June period at $49.6 billion, up $1.6 billion or 3.3% from the previous year. But it was livestock that led the way. Total livestock receipts rose 10.8% or $2.1 billion to $21.3 billion in the first two quarters, on account of higher prices for all livestock types except poultry. On the other hand, crop receipts were little changed – inching up $80.2 million or 0.3% - to $25.9 billion. Meanwhile, program payments declined, falling $584.5 million or 20% to $2.3 billion. While cash receipts increased for most crops in the January-June period, StatsCan said those gains were offset by reduced receipts for barley and lower liquidations of deferred crop sales in Western Canada. Total oilseed receipts through the first two quarters of 2025 wer

Alberta Harvest Advances; Yield Potential Improves

Alberta yield potential is improving as the harvest advances. Friday’s weekly crop report estimated dryland yields for major crops at 19% above the 5-year average and 11% above the 10-year average. That marks a 4-point increase in both indexes from the estimates last reported two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the harvest of major crops (spring wheat, oats, barley, canola, and peas) was pegged at about 8% complete as of Tuesday, up 6 points from a week earlier although still behind the five- and 10-year averages of 15% and 12%, respectively. The harvest of all crops was reported at 11% done as of Tuesday, versus 2% two weeks earlier. The average Alberta spring wheat yield is now estimated by the province at 50.6 bu/acre, with oats and barley at 71.8 and 69.1 bu. Canola is estimated at 39.7 bu/acre, and peas at 47 bu. “The extended period of rain and cool temperatures, which occurred while crops matured, appears to have been beneficial with multiple reports of yields surprising to the up

Pulse Market Insight #281

First StatsCan Crop Estimates for 2025 This week, StatsCan issued its first yield and production estimates for 2025 crops. These numbers are based on computer models using satellite vegetation images which, in our view, have been getting better at estimating yields. That said, these first estimates were based on the situation at the end of July; weather and crop conditions have changed considerably since then, some worse but mostly better. As combines got rolling this fall, one common theme we’ve been hearing from many parts of the prairies has been that yields are coming in better than expected. Rainfall was variable across the prairies but in all regions, 2025 was a much milder summer than the last 3-4 years when extended periods of extreme heat reduced yields. If these early positive results continue through the rest of harvest, we wouldn’t be surprised if these initial StatsCan numbers are the low-water mark for the season. For peas, StatsCan reported a yield of 36.6 bu/acre, up

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service