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Canadian Organic Growers and The Big Carrot host Toronto conference on genetically modified food - Environmental Communication Options/Huff Strategy

Canadian Organic Growers and The Big Carrot host Toronto conference on genetically modified food

Jan 27th, 2010 4:39 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Your Food Your Choice:Grounds for Change: Canadian Organic Growers (Toronto Chapter) and The Big Carrot Natural Food Market join forces to bring Toronto a one-day Conference examining the potential dangers of Genetically Modified Food. Champions of local, sustainable food initiatives come together for a one day conference to educate and empower citizens in the fight against genetically engineered foods (GMOs). WHERE: University of Toronto Conference Centre, 89 Chestnut St, Toronto, Ontario WHEN: February 20, 2010 The organic food sector produces the healthiest, most sustainable and safest food possible. Your Food, Your Choice: Grounds for Change will cut through the fog that clouds informed debate about GMOs. It will provide facts to concerned consumers and growers, showing why everyone should be concerned about unlabelled GMOs in our food. It is time to make informed choices about the food we eat, and if our leaders won’t deal with the issue of GMOs, then we have to. Panels will examine what genetic engineering does to our food, how it impacts our health and how it degrades our environment. “These substances (GMOs) have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown." (published in the International Journal for Biological Science A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health). The Keynote speaker is Barbel Hohn, Germany's first Green Party Agriculture Minister. Panelists include Dairy Farmer Michael Schmidt (Raw Milk Champion), Saskatchewan Farmer Percy Schmeiser (who fought Monsanto in court), Megan Westgate (Executive Director, the Non-GMO Project), Tom Manley (President, Homestead Organics, a leading organic grain and farm supply business), Beatrice Olivastri (CEO, Friends of the Earth Canada) and Rick Smith, PhD (Executive Director, Environmental Defence Canada). The conference also features the Lifetime Organic Hero Award, vendors and exhibitors. Visionary Sponsors of the event include The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Pfenning's Organics, Eden Foods, Agricultural Adaptation Council of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Media Sponsors include NOW Magazine, Vitality Magazine and Edible Toronto. A delicious organic (GMO free) lunch is provided with admission cost of $65.00. CONTACT INFORMATION: Tina Siegel, Environmental Communication Options 416.972.7401, tsiegel@ecostrategy.ca