BC’s best organics

The organic industry is the fastest growing segment in Canadian food retailing. In 2003, Canadian organic retail sales were estimated at $1 to $1.3 billion, making Canada the sixth largest market in the world. The first ever Certified Organic Association of British Columbia’s BC Organic Harvest Awards, the only event that officially recognizes the growth and accomplishment of the province’s organic sector, took place in Vancouver on November 5. Award recipients included:
Nature’s Path’s Carrot Raisin Manna Bread tied with Artisan Bake Shoppe’s Ancient Grains Bread for best bakery product.
Avalon Dairy/Bradner Farms for best dairy producer.
Happy Planet’s organic Happiest Orange Juice tied with Ethical Bean’s organic coffee for best non-alcoholic beverage.
Kootenay Kitchen Veggie Pate for best-processed (non-livestock) product.
Alderlea Biodynamic Farm for best direct farm marketing business/best integrated farm system.
Bradner Farms for best livestock producer.
Organa Farms Smoked Turkey Bacon for best-processed meat product.
Salt Spring Natureworks for best retailer.
Small Potatoes Urban Delivery for best home-delivery system.
Crannog Ales Backhand of God Stout for best alcoholic beverage.
www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca

No place for a whale

Since July 2005, the Vancouver Aquarium has bought three dolphins and sold one beluga whale. In October 2005, the aquarium imported two more dolphins from Japan, even though the Vancouver park board advised the aquarium not to follow through with those plans. According to park staff, the two dolphins do not meet the city’s dolphin bylaw restrictions. The park board sent the matter to the city’s legal department for investigation. Historically, every time the city tries to intervene on behalf of whales held captive at the aquarium, the aquarium threatens to sue the city. For more information, visit the Coalition for No Whales in Captivity, www.nowhalesincaptivity.org

Biodiesel hyped as clean fuel

With Vancouver in the running for a 40 million litre per year biodiesel refinery, some serious evaluation needs to be done.
Biodiesel produces half the CO2 of gasoline and it is a net-zero CO2 producer. However, beyond that the news is bad.
Biodiesel is being highly diluted with petrodiesel and still being called biodiesel by such users as BC Transit.
Microscopic carbon particles which cause lung cancer come from the incomplete burning of both fuels.
Promotion of biodiesel is extending the life of diesels in general. Diesels are technologically outdated and can never be made environmentally friendly. Cleaner burning fuels such as ethanol plus hydrogen fuel cells and electric are safer and cleaner.
Join the Ban Terminator Campaign
Genetic seed sterilization technology is once again threatening the 12,000-year-old tradition of farmers saving, adapting, and exchanging seed, and the 1.4 billion people who depend on farm-saved seed as their primary seed source. In February 2005, the Canadian government tried to overturn the international UN de facto moratorium on terminator seeds. To meet this new crisis and to rebuild global opposition, the action group Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC) asks you to join the new Ban Terminator Campaign and take action.
Debates about terminator technology will take place at two upcoming UN meetings. ETC will work to establish a ban on terminator seeds at major meetings of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, January 23-27, 2006 in Spain and March 20-31 in Brazil. Endorse the campaign to show governments how strong the global opposition is. Subscribe to receive action alerts. Join others in your area to pressure your government to ban terminator technology nationally and internationally. The ETC can help provide materials and contacts. Become a Ban Terminator contact and organizer. Share information about terminator seeds in your community. Pass a resolution in your group or community against terminator technology. Visit www.banterminator.org for ideas, information, and campaign materials.

More fruit, fewer veggies

Canadians continue to lay off veggies, but are reaching for more fresh fruit, according to the latest data on food consumption. Per capita consumption of fresh vegetables fell for the third consecutive year in 2004, hitting its lowest level since 1992. On average, Canadians consumed 74.8 kg of fresh vegetables in 2004, down from 75.7 kg in 2003. Even consumption of processed vegetables, including canned and frozen varieties, fell from 15.8 kg to 15.1 kg. Canada’s favourite vegetable, potatoes, many of them eaten as French fries or chips, accounted for half of the decline in vegetable consumption. Consumption of potatoes has been trending down for three years. Other Canadian staples such as onions, lettuce, and carrots are also trending lower.
On the other hand, on average, each Canadian ate 37.6 kg of fresh fruit, up from 37.1 kg. Apples, bananas, and oranges remained the fruit of preference, accounting for nearly half of all fresh fruit eaten.
www.statcan.ca