HOW TO TAKE ACTION ON GLYPHOSATE
2 ways:
- To comment by July 20, 2021 on Health Canada’s proposal to increase maximum residue limits: email hc.pmra.publications-arla.sc@canada.ca with comments on PMRL 2021-10. Please cc SafeFoodMatters.org More info here.
- Help fund our legal case against Health Canada over glyphosate through our GoFundMe Link below.
GoFundMe link: http://gf.me/u/y4qsvc
La salubrité des aliments est importante, mais pas pour Santé Canada?
La salubrité des aliments est importante pour vous et moi, mais est-ce important pour Santé Canada? Nous ne sommes pas convaincus. Pourquoi pas? Nous avons été dans une bataille David contre Goliath avec eux depuis 2017 en ce qui concerne leur approche réglementaire vers la salubrité des aliments,, et avons deux observations de base. Premièrement, à notre avis, Santé Canada n’a pas respecté l’intention ou la lettre de la loi. Deuxièmement, la conduite du régulateur a posé problème.
Cet article fournit des détails sur ces deux points. En ce qui concerne le premier point, il explique comment, dans notre dossier, Santé Canada n’a pas effectué une solide évaluation des risques, n’a pas été transparent et a retardé le dossier de plus d’une décennie.
Sur le deuxième point, cela montre que le régulateur: n’a pas été franc sur le processus, n’a pas fourni les documents pertinents, n’a pas fourni les qualifications des …Read More
Backgrounder to Glyphosate Appeal/ document d’information sur l’appel
Who We Are
Canadian non-profit, founded in 2016, dedicated to protecting health and protecting the environment, with a focus on the safety of food production technologies.
Campaigns have included GE foods and synthetic biology.
Taking Health Canada to the Federal Court of Appeal over its risk assessment of glyphosate.
Context
Glyphosate (Roundup) was registered for use in Canada in 1976 as a weed killer.
In the 2000s farmers started to spray it right onto growing crops to kill them.
The goal was to “dry-down” or “desiccate” the crops for efficiency purposes: (1) the timing of harvest could be scheduled, and (2) crops wouldn’t be wet so easier to harvest in one pass with big machines. This is “pre-harvest treatment” or “desiccation.”
Problem
When glyphosate is sprayed on crops that are growing, it moves through the roots into the plant’s circulation system and then binds to and moves with the nutrients right into the priority growing locations: the seeds, beans …Read More
SAFE FOOD MATTERS, BUT NOT TO HEALTH CANADA ?
BUT NOT TO HEALTH CANADA ?
Safe food matters to you and me, but does it matter to Health Canada? We aren’t convinced. Why not? We have been in a David vs. Goliath battle with them since 2017 regarding their regulatory approach to safe food, and have two basic observations. First, in our view, Health Canada hasn’t followed the intent or the letter of the law. Second, the conduct of the regulator has been problematic.
This article provides detail on these two points. With respect to the first point, it explains how on our file Health Canada did not conduct a strong risk assessment, was not transparent, and delayed the file by more than a decade.
On the second point, it shows that the regulator: was not upfront about the process, did not provide relevant documents, did not provide the qualifications of reviewing scientists, and worked to counter rather than properly consider the …Read More
safe food matters appeals decision
Safe Food Matters Inc. is appealing the Federal Court judgement that allows the decision of Health Canada to renew glyphosate to stand. The appeal was filed on March 13 at the Federal Court of Appeal.
“We think the wrong legal test was applied in the case, and that the decision-making of Health Canada on the file was not reasonable,” said Mary Lou McDonald, President of Safe Food Matters.
The case goes back to 2017, when Health Canada re-registered glyphosate for use in Canada. Eight groups objected and asked for an independent review panel, and in 2019 Health Canada responded with no. SFM then applied in Federal Court for judicial review and asked again for the Minister of Health to consider establishing a review panel. The Federal Court on February 13 dismissed the application.
The appeal process has been initiated, and Safe Food Matters has again retained Andrea Gonsalves of Stockwoods LLP as …Read More
Federal Court releases its decision
Safe Food Matters (SFM) has received notice that the Federal Court will not direct that an independent review panel be struck to review glyphosate.
The Court was of the view that SFM needed to “challenge the science relied on by the PMRA in the Evaluations”. We respectfully disagree, and believe that our job was to raise a scientific doubt about the validity of the evaluations Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) conducted. A “valid evaluation” is one that is complete, transparent, current and free from bias and the appearance of conflict of interest.
We believe we did that, by showing that PMRA did not examine the mechanism in plants that allows higher levels of glyphosate to accumulate in the seeds of legumes and cereals when they are desiccated. As such, the evaluation was not complete, and Health Canada cannot with complete impunity say there is no “unacceptable risk” to human health.
The process has …Read More
Federal Court FOLLOW-UP
By Mary Lou McDonald, Safe Food Matters President
Safe Food Matters took action on Health Canada’s review of glyphosate because we believe in the law and our Court system. We think the law is on our side, and we don’t expect we will be disappointed. It was clear to all in attendance that Justice Sandra Simpson took these matters very seriously.
Hon. Simpson has a heavy burden, particularly in the current context where issues about desiccation with glyphosate and dietary exposure are coming under increasing scrutiny. Kellogg’s recently announced they are phasing out use as a “pre-harvest drying agent”, and the short-term EU renewal of glyphosate imposed strict limits on pre-harvest use. New hard science is coming out that it alters the microbiome of the human gut. And numerous class actions are being launched in Canada.
We believe we raised a scientific doubt about the validity of the glyphosate assessment of Health Canada’s …Read More
Court Date & Court Case
Court Date Jan 30 TO
Safe Food Matters has good news, on 2 fronts!
FIRST, we have a court date! It is January 30, 2020, at the Federal Court in Toronto: 180 Queen St. W., starting at 9:30. The public is allowed to attend, so please show up if you are so inclined! We are scheduled for the full day.
Andrea Gonsalves, our fantastic lawyer from Stockwoods LLP, will make her submissions first, then the Attorney General will present. Andrea will then reply. I can’t wait to see her in action! Again, a HUGE shout out to Andrea and Stockwoods for taking on and minimizing the fees on this case: VERY generous and very much appreciated.
SECOND, the Supreme Court of Canada on December 19 released the Vavilov decision, and we think it adds strength to the case we are making, which is that Health Canada did not act reasonably when it rejected our …Read More
Going to Court Over Glyphosate!
SAFE FOOD MATTERS Going to Court Over Roundup/Glyphosate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TORONTO, February 12, 2019 – Safe Food Matters Inc. filed an application in federal court yesterday, challenging the re-registration of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide. In 2017 it filed a notice of objection (“NoO”) to the re-registration decision and asked that an independent review panel be established. Eight NoOs were filed in mid-2017, and all were rejected on January 11, 2019.
“We have no choice but to go to Court on this issue” said Mary Lou McDonald, President of Safe Food Matters (and also a challenger in her own right). “We point out to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (“PMRA”) exactly how this poison is concentrating in certain foods, and all they do is tweak the labels. The feds’ own data shows that label details aren’t followed or enforced. It is not right. They are completely ignoring the issue.”
In addition, …Read More
To the PMRA – We Object!
On December 17, 2018, Safe Food Matters (along with Friends of the Earth Canada, Prevent Cancer Now and Right On Canada) objected to Health Canada’s re-registration of #glyphosate and called for immediate action by Canada’s pesticide regulator, #PMRA.
See our letter below.
