Canadian organic growers in for the long haul Wednesday, April 6, 2011 by SUSAN MANNA Canadian organic organization has joined a United States-based lawsuit challenging Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified seeds.Laura Telford, executive director of Canadian Organic Growers, Canada’s largest organic farming organization, says her organization joined the lawsuit in a show of solidarity with farmers everywhere. The Organic Growers are among 59 other farming associations, seed companies and farmers taking part in the lawsuit.Telford says her group isn’t the only Canadian organization that has joined the lawsuit. Others include seed companies and individual farmers mainly from Alberta.The Public Patent Foundation, a Manhattan-based public interest law association, filed the lawsuit March 29 in federal district court in Manhattan. The groups are asking the court whether Monsanto has the right to sue farmers for patent infringement if the company’s genetically modified seed lands on growers’ fields. One of the goals of the suit is to demonstrate that the biotechnology patents issued to Monsanto aren’t in the public interest.Monsanto has sued farmers both in Canada and the U.S. in the past when patented genetic material has inadvertently contaminated their crops.Telford says another reason Organic Growers joined the lawsuit is to make a statement so officials issuing patents would think about what kind of patents they approve and what kind of precedents are being set. The United States is the world’s largest patent-issuing country.“They need to look at social issues when they’re making those decisions,” she says, noting there are a lot of genetically modified products getting licensed for use in America that end up in Canada.She says they expect the lawsuit to go on for at least six years “and at each phase all of the organizations will be called upon to answer questions and possibly file more briefs.” The Canadian Organic Growers is a national membership-based education and networking organization. BF Decision in latest round of whistleblower's egg case expected next week Virtual market will connect Ontario farmers with buyers
$12M Invested in Agri-Food Growth in Southern Ontario Thursday, March 6, 2025 The Government of Canada has announced an investment of over $12 million to support the growth and development of southern Ontario’s agri-food sector. This funding aims to help businesses scale up, adopt advanced technologies, and enhance production capabilities. Several organizations... Read this article online
U of G Advancing Soil Health Wednesday, March 5, 2025 The University of Guelph is taking a significant step forward in tackling climate change and advancing soil health, with the announcement of a new $4-million investment. This initiative, fueled by a $2 million gift from the Jarislowsky Foundation, matched by a contribution from the... Read this article online
International Women’s Day – Angela Cammaert Wednesday, March 5, 2025 As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, Farms.com is asking women in ag about what they’d tell their younger selves about being a farmer, to give a piece of advice to young women entering the ag sector, and to highlight a woman in agriculture they consider a mentor or... Read this article online
Grain Growers of Sounding the Alarm Over U.S. Tariffs Wednesday, March 5, 2025 Not surprisingly, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is raising concerns over the United States' decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian grain and grain products, a move that could jeopardize the livelihoods of family-run grain farms and lead to higher food prices for American... Read this article online
Taking Issue with Charlebois’ Criticism of Canada’s Dairy Supply Tuesday, March 4, 2025 Farms.com recently received correspondence from Phil Mount, National Farmers Union 1st vice president (Policy) with his response to recent criticism of Canada’s dairy supply management system. Recent criticism of Canada’s dairy supply management has come from well-known Sylvain... Read this article online