Flax?

[parsley]

Joedales;

...I thought everyone should know I am making a fuss. FYI Parsley

[joedales]

Hi Parsley:

I agree with most of your points, what I don't like is that a small amount of contaminent (not sure about the health threat - but it can only be a small quanitity...) is causing the whole Canadian flax industry to be negatively portrayed as Biotech nuts by people like Greenpeace who really don't care about the facts but are against anything biotech....

We are being used for their political purposes in my mind...that is what pissed me off when I read the news release.


I think the upside on all of this is that better quality and identity preservation practices may increase the value we can get for our crops...

The consumers and therefore flax processors will pay more if we can prove to them what they are buying is a specific product....for instance organic, non gmo...it differentiates from the commodity stream. It should provide a premium market although buyers have ways of trying to commoditize differentiated products.


This is a pretty important issue and warrants thorough discussion and it is important that you make a fuss Pars...

The flax industry needs to defend itself and its markets.

Take care,

Joe

[Fransisco]

Actually it had been approved(if it actually is Triffid)in Canada. You can light your hair on fire all you want about breaking the rules and demanding the witch's be burned at the stake. But the reality is there is no danger what so ever to the consumer. It is irresponsible fear-mongering to say otherwise.

A shipment didn't meet spec, that is the problem. And it is not an insurmountable problem.

We don't know if it was done on purpose or if it was an accident of some kind. And we don't even know how far off spec it was. Was it one kernal, or 5000 tonnes 99% GMO.

Funny how I don't see anyone jumping up and down because the EU found the following two problems coming from Canada

-bad hygienic state of chilled American sealobster (Homarus americanus) from Canada 07/09/2009

-parasitic infestation with Anisakis of frozen pacific hake from Canada, via the United States 04/09/2009

But then again those two problems could actually make people sick.

BTW- stupid rules do need to be challenged. And zero tolerence on GMO's is a stupid rule. Even the Organict Trade Association thinks so.

[parsley]

You sound so defensive, franny, you wouldn't be bagging your own home-grown Triffid and selling it to all the hospitals in Newfoundland under a personal contract you've negotiated with claims that flax is good for livestock.. and livestock are animals.. and therefore you consider humans as animals, would you?

You're talking like you're a screw the rules guy.

Maybe you'd like to review what the food inspection agency directs:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/dd/dd9824e.shtmlfranny


"Decision Document 98-24

Unconfined release into the environment and livestock feed use of CDC Triffid is therefore authorized. Also, any other L. usitatissimum lines and intra-specific hybrids resulting from the same transformation event, and all their descendants, may be released provided that: no inter-specific crosses are performed; the intended use of the plants is the same; and that it is known following thorough characterization that such plants do not display any additional novel traits and are substantially equivalent to currently grown flax in terms of their potential environmental impact and livestock feed safety."

Livestock feed use.

Livestock feed use. Pars

[parsley]

Triffid's are taking an approach that is not winnable with consumers. Or with growers. IMHO

Triffid growers have a controversy on their hands, and nobody is stepping up to the plate.

The approach to hunker down and ride it through the consumer's purse is folly. And I say that sincerely.

We watched Maple Leaf go through a business contortion that left them gasping, but ALIVE. Their alternative was to hide under the meat slicers and hope the consumer was stupid.

They chose the former. Why? Because the world IS our back yard, and we don't own consumer or buyer loyalty, or FARMER loyalty, we have to earn their respect. There are other companies, other countries eager to serve our customers.

Triffids have chosen to hide, to reason that "well, the regulations are no damn good anyhow". "It's out there anyhow." "We don't know anything about it.""Let's wait and see"

Thus, the public will know where they stand if anything is amiss. And worse, farmers...everyday basic good people also know where they stand.......when the going gets tough, they're on their own.

Own your profits AND own your losses. And don't be hesitant to to tend your business.<p></p>
<p class="EC_style8ptBK"><strong><a href="httphttp://www.collegehumor.com/picture:75637">(Even the timid can develop.)</a></strong></p>

[parsley]

sorry, am posting link again. I was laughing too hard.<p></p>
<p class="EC_style8ptBK"><strong><a href=”http://www.collegehumor.com/picture:75637">(Even the timid can develop.)</a></strong></p>

[parsley]

You were waiting, right?........


&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class=&quot;EC_style8ptBK&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;[URL="http://www.collegehumor.com/picture:75637"](Even the timid can develop)[/URL]&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[Fransisco]

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/dd/dd9824e.shtml

Decision Document 98-24:
Determination of the Safety of the Crop Development Centre's 'CDC Triffid', a Flax

ii. Background Information

"The Plant Biotechnology Office of the Plant Health and Production Division, with input from the Plant Health Risk Assessment Unit, on behalf of the Plant Protection Division, CFIA, has reviewed the information submitted by the CDC for the determination of environmental safety, based on the following assessment criteria as described in the regulatory directive Dir94-08: Assessment Criteria for Determining Environmental Safety of Plants with Novel Traits:

•potential of the PNT to become a weed of agriculture or be invasive of natural habitats
•potential for gene flow to wild relatives whose hybrid offspring may become more weedy or more invasive
•potential for the PNT to become a plant pest
•<b>potential impact of the PNT or its gene products on non-target species, including humans</b>
•potential impact on biodiversity"

potential impact of the PNT or its gene products on non-target species, <b>including humans</b>

potential impact of the PNT or its gene products on non-target species, <b>including humans</b>

including humans

humans

<b>humans</b>

[Fransisco]

"Triffid growers have a controversy on their hands, and nobody is stepping up to the plate"

Can you please point to the farmers and the fields that are growing Triffid? Can you show us a bin full of Triffid? Since you are so sure this is the case it should be easy.

[Fransisco]

And since you're making comparisons to Maple Leaf can you please show us some bodies or at least someone in the hospital? Perhaps with a triffid induced sniffle.

[Fransisco]

And for something a little different how's about the latest in anti-GM fashion.

<a href="http://judoinfo.com/discuss/uploads/post-4-1125429608.jpg "> http://judoinfo.com/discuss/uploads/post-4-1125429608.jpg</a>

[Hopperbin]

If there was a producer growing Triffid flax then there should be samples saved at the elevators, could be used to find out where the contamination come from. I would think jail time should be in order if that was the case and the farmer should lose his right to be a producer. Now if there is GMO contamination in all our flax then the biotech company should be on the hook for that one. Just one other thought, is there anything that a European is allowed to eat???

[parsley]

Let's clear the air on this one first...one step at a time, franny.

1.Could we agree that finding GM canola in flax in Europe was not desirable, ?
Yes or No

Now trhe next step

2. If it is not desirable, who do you think SHOULD step up to address the issue..canola growers like hopper? How about barley growers? Or bean growers? Or the Toronto symphony, perhaps? Nobody?

I'm interested in your TWO answers

[Fransisco]

You first.

Is zero GM tolerence reasonable?Yes or No

[parsley]

Your retort-question is not pertinent to the two questions I framed. Don't ask my opinion about arranged marriages either.

Europe sets there own tolerances! What I or you THINK is irrelevant. It is not my place to tell EU what their standards should be. Lawsey.

I just want to sell to them. I can comply or not comply with their standards. The marketing questions I ask relate to injury to entry to that market. It is something we...Canadians... can fix/improve.

I would hope you are capable of answering two simple questions, franny. Pars