by SUSAN MANN
One of the best parts of the National Farmers Union in Ontario’s Day of Action to stop genetically modified alfalfa from being commercially released in Canada is the support farmers got from consumers, says Ann Slater.
The former NFU-O coordinator says many people beeped as protestors held up signs along the portion of Highway 8 that heads out of Stratford on Tuesday. She estimates there were 50 to 70 protestors at the Stratford rally, held on the sidewalk in front of the strip mall where Perth-Wellington MP Gary Schellenberger’s office is located.
“We had lots of support from the people travelling by on the road,” she says, noting protestors also delivered some petitions to Schellenberger.
Slater says one important impact of the protest was that farmers and consumers came together. Farmers have flagged the genetically modified alfalfa matter and consumers stood by their side, also saying they’re concerned, she notes. “We need farmers and consumers working together and that was the feeling that was out there today.”
The protest in Stratford was one of several that took place from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday outside federal MPs' constituency offices as well as government and corporate offices in 38 communities across Canada, including 17 in Ontario. The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network supported the protest.
John Sutherland, National Farmers Union in Ontario coordinator, says he has spoken to Premier Kathleen Wynne about their concerns with genetically modified alfalfa and how it will affect organic farmers. “Organic farmers would be undermined if genetically modified alfalfa goes ahead,” he says.
Slater says the day of action was held to raise awareness among elected officials about why “we don’t want genetically modified alfalfa.”
GMOs are not permitted in organic production. Organic farmers, therefore, would not be able to maintain certification if their alfalfa crops become contaminated with the genetically engineered variety.
American company Forage Genetics International has applied Monsanto’s Roundup Ready technology to alfalfa. While Canada has approved genetically modified alfalfa for health and environmental release in 2005, variety registration still has to be approved by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency before the product can be released commercially.
Network coordinator Lucy Sharratt says in a press release the registration and commercial release could happen as early as this spring.
Sharratt says more than 110 people attended the rally in Ottawa at the CFIA’s variety registration office, and many of them were farmers from surrounding counties, such as Lanark and Renfrew.
“The problem is the whole process is totally secret,” she says, noting farmers can ask CFIA if they’ve received a request for registration by Forage Genetics but the agency won’t confirm or deny the farmers’ query. “They won’t tell us even if they’re looking at different varieties for registration.”
Sharratt says the product could be available soon in Canada because they have seen the Canadian Seed Trade Association and Forage Genetics “making moves to pave the way for genetically modified alfalfa to be introduced.”
Rebecca Lentz, spokesperson for Forage Genetics International, says by email they are considering opportunities in Eastern Canada for Roundup Ready alfalfa for use as a forage but no decision has been made on sales in Canada. BF
Comments
Why not to start a petition ?
With avaaz.org for example
Given the yield drag, and yield variability, of organic, especially in those parts of the world where even the slightest loss in yield due to factors which could have been mitigated by the use of commercial herbicides and pesticides, can spell hunger and/or famine, why would we argue in favour of something which, even here, increases both production and financial risk for farmers?
Or, to look at it another way, if I'm going to compete with the wretched excesses of the incomes and purchasing power availale only to dairy and poultry farmers, I need all the help I can get, including the help from GMO seeds. Advantage is a door that swings both ways - I might be in favour of banning GMO alfalfa if we also banned supply management.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
While I can respect the hard work that goes into raising/producing organic food and the freedom to do so, I don't respect the fact that they don't want other farmers the option of having this technology. For example, an organic farmer does not want this alfalfa in a field beside him/her because it may contaminate their farm, yet what about the conventional farmer's alfalfa field becoming contaminated with weed seeds from the organic farmer(like dandelion), and not having the ability to use this new alfalfa and spray it?
I think alot of farmers would like to spray their alfalfa fields with less than $10 worth of roundup, especially last year with signifigant dandelion pressure, to get another year or 2 out of their stands, when you consider the cost of reseeding.
Spraying roundup on my hay, would take out a lot more than the dandelion's kill since I have a 50% non alfalfa mix. By the time you have enough yield drag from weeds it is time to take the stand out anyhow, and it will cost a lot more to kill RR alfalfa.
John Gillespie
Ripley
John, your bang on, I couldn't agree more with you. I have sold grass seed for more then a decade now and I have yet to sell some one straight alfalfa seed, maybe there are some people planting 100% alfalfa but none that I have encountered. This is simply an easy way for Monsanto to control all of the seed stock and limit farmers choice. If other farmers cant see this their out to lunch.
Sean McGivern, President
Practical Farmers of Ontario
Last year, with the abnormally warm spring, followed by frost, we saw alfalfa take a kit, but not dandelion's, and I know many farmers that grow alfalfa on its own that would love to have had this option. No matter how you slice it, an application of roundup is cheap. Yes, you may have to switch to a different group of herbicide after you go back to another crop, but many farmers, such as myself, switch between different groups of herbicides in their rotation already.
want to fix your dandelion problem ??? get a soil test and spread some lime, and as for a cheap fix last time I checked it cost $10.00 an acre just for the application, unless your one of these farmers who can do it for far less then every one else, because you've under valued your time and equipment,
Sean McGivern
PFO
My soil PH is already too high so I don't want to add lime. Even if it was, could I buy lime and spread it for any less than an application of roundup? I doubt it would give me as effective of control also.
Well your A typical thinking, is just the type of thinking that has made farmers dependent on companies like Monsanto, heck your right why actually look at the under lying issue that is causing your weed problem, why not just blast it all round up, and forget about soil biology, heck maybe your God Monsanto will even find a replacement for soil life some day... so until then lets just blast off all the round up we can and totally ruin the soil micronutrients. Let me guess your a UofG grad from some time back in the 70's ? because that's the era of thinking your mind is still stuck in.
Sean McGivern
PFO
Anonymous personal attack deleted.
when one thinks of a leader, the person is usually a well spoken intelligent listener. I think PFO stands for Practical Farmers of Ontario, i would be embarassed by the rude comments and assumptions that their PFO leader makes.
G. Kimble
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