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Day of Action to Stop GM Alfalfa

Published March 19, 2013

by afdubreu

Urgent Action Alert from the National Farmers Union-Ontario: Stop the release of GM Alfalfa!

Tuesday April 9, 2013, 12 noon to 1 pm, Outside MP offices

Send out the email call to action: Click here to copy and paste the email.

Contact us to organize an event in your community or find out how you can support the day of action.

Action Kit

Organize an event:

Help Publicize:

More tools for organizing:

Why is GM Alfalfa Such a Huge Threat? GM contamination is inevitable because alfalfa is a perennial crop pollinated by insects. In Ontario, weeds are becoming resistant to glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup): another glyphosate tolerant crop like Roundup Ready alfalfa would increase these weeds. Alfalfa is almost always grown in a mix with grasses and establishes readily without the use of herbicides. Farmers don’t want or need Roundup Ready alfalfa. If genetically modified (GM, also called genetically engineered or GE) alfalfa is released in Eastern Canada, it will have negative impacts on a wide range of farmers and farming systems, both conventional and organic. Click here for more information on GM alfalfa.

Why is Alfalfa Important? Alfalfa (commonly harvested as hay) is a high-protein forage fed to animals like dairy cows, beef cattle, lambs, poultry and pigs. It‘s also used to build nutrients and organic matter in the soil, making it particularly important for organic farming. If it’s introduced, GM alfalfa will ruin export markets for alfalfa products, contaminate family farms, make it more difficult for farmers to control weeds, and threaten the future of organic food and farming in Canada.

How Can I Organize an Action in My Community? The National Farmers Union and the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network have produced an action kit with details on how to make your action successful. We have posters, flyers, information on GM alfalfa and other materials to help you. Please also feel free to contact CBAN for direct support or to discuss ideas – call Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network at 613 241 2267 ext 25 or email Lucy at coordinator@cban.ca

What Else Can I Do to Help?

  1. Come out on April 9! Bring your friends and family!
  2. Help spread the word about April 9 to groups in your community, ask them to get involved.
  3. Help publicize the action in your community by putting up posters, handing out flyers, and posting through email and facebook.
  4. Contact media in your community to tell them about the Day of Action and encourage them to cover the rallies.
  5. Collect signatures on the petition to stop GM alfalfa and bring them to your MP on April 9. See http://www.cban.ca/alfalfapetition
  6. Be a part of the Day of Action even if there is not a rally in your community! Check here for details on how you can participate on and before April 9.
  7. Order GM Alfalfa action postcards for distribution in your community by emailing info@cban.ca

The following resolution was passed on March 2, 2013 at the NFU Region 3 Convention/NFU-Ontario AGM: "Be it resolved that the National Farmers Union – Ontario call on farm organizations in Ontario and across Canada, other civil society organizations and concerned consumers to join NFU-O members in a day of action against the release of GM alfalfa to be held at MP's constituency offices on April 9, 2013."

This call to action was issued by the National Farmers Union-Ontario, March 9 2013.

Posted in: Events

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