Private members' bill seeds regulation debate

Friday, March 19, 2010

by SUSAN MANN

The NDP’s agriculture critic is proposing assessing new genetically engineered seeds for potential damage to export markets before approving them for sale in Canada and at least two general farm organizations support the effort.

“Currently genetically engineered seeds are approved for commercial release in Canada without any assessment of the impacts on our export markets,” British Columbia MP Alex Atamanenko wrote in a March 2 letter to supporters to explain why he has introduced a private members’ bill to require the assessment.

The Conservative minority government isn’t in favour of the bill. On Thursday, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in written comments forwarded by his press secretary Meagan Murdoch that the government’s approval system is based on sound science. To keep markets open to all commodities, “it’s critical that our system remain based firmly in science not in politics.”

The proposal adds an “extra level of red tape that will keep new innovative varieties in approvals indefinitely,” he said.
 
The recent loss of Canada’s flax export markets due to contamination by genetically engineered seed makes it clear technology using genetic engineering that isn’t accepted by major export markets “has little economic value to Canadian farmers,” Atamanenko said in his letter. He explained that in late 2009, the genetically engineered flax CDC Triffid was found in Canadian exports to 35 countries that have not approved it for human consumption or environmental release.

Atamanenko’s bill came up for second reading in the House of Commons Wednesday night but there wasn’t time to finish the two-hour debate and hold a vote on whether to send the bill for further study to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. It’s important the bill goes to committee “so we can have a really good debate and put all the cards on the table,” he said Thursday. (The committee would study the bill and hold hearings. It can amend the bill and send it back to the House with changes or recommend that it shouldn’t proceed).

Atamanenko doesn’t know when his bill will come up again. The House Leaders of the four parties determine the schedule.

Hansard, the official record of parliamentary debates, reveals MPs traded barbs during the debate. “This is not about farmers,” said David Anderson, parliamentary secretary to the Canadian Wheat Board. “This about the NDP’s opposition to GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and everybody needs to understand that right off the bat.”

Bloc Quebecois MP André Bellavance representing Richmond-Arthabaska said: “The Conservatives are closed-minded. They immediately rejected the bill and did not want to hear any arguments in committee.”

Atamanenko said he has support from the Bloc, while the Liberals support sending the bill to committee “but they’re concerned about some of the aspects of the bill.”

With support from the Bloc and Liberals, Atamanenko said there are enough votes to send the bill to committee.

Atamanenko said he was disappointed that during Wednesday night’s debate the Conservatives focused on the mantra everything has to be science-based. “They don’t somehow understand that regardless of what we think here if the markets are shut down farmers are going to lose money.”

New Democrat MP Jim Maloway representing Elmwood-Transcona said in Hansard the bill has garnered support from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the National Farmers Union, the organic farm and food community and the Biotechnology Action Network.

Canadian Federation president Laurent Pellerin said it’s important the government discusses ways to ensure export markets aren’t closed to farmers because of the technology they adopt. The proposed bill will give the government an opportunity to study the link between genetically engineered seed and market consequences.

David Sippell, president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association, said they’re firm believers in a science-based regulatory system. If a system is developed that bases the approval of new technologies on market acceptance, individual companies involved in developing the new traits should be “the ones who are making sure that those are ferried through appropriately.”

Sippell said he understands the bill has requirements for market acceptance of new technology before commercial release as opposed to basing the approval decision solely on scientific criteria. “On the market acceptance side that’s where we feel the industry should be involved to get those things accepted in the market and individual companies should be involved.”

The Canadian Seed Trade Association is a voluntary association of about 140 seed companies from across Canada. BF