Working Group Activities
Food Secure Canada Working Groups are formed by the membership at assemblies or by the steering committee between assemblies.
Active working groups include:
- Food Sovereignty
- Seeds
- Urban Agriculture
Seeds Working Group
On July 8, 2009, the Government of Canada announced amendments to the 'Seeds Regulations' which will have negative effects on farmers. In its "e-letter #4" the Seed Policy Project presents a critique of the amendments.The SPP points out that the amendments
- download risks onto farmers and make farmers more dependent on seed companies for information. There is a profound inequality between multinational seed companies and their teams of lawyers, and farmers.
- reduce the field testing required both in terms of time and in terms of geography
- will allow more seeds to be commercialised that do not perform well in many parts of Canada and that do not perform under variable conditions (such as weather or disease pressures).
They conclude that the only way to truly open the Canadian seed system up to diversity and seed breeding for local conditions would be to have much more farmer-based plant breeding and seed systems. The current federal regulations (including the Plant Breeders Rights Act), and other mechanisms, make it increasingly difficult, if not illegal, for such farmer-based seed systems to develop and operate.
Urban Agriculture Working Group
For more information, email us.