Alex Atamanenko’s Bill C-474 that calls for an export market analysis prior to approving new genetically engineered seeds, is headed for its second hour of debate in the House of Commons today, April 01 at 5:30 PM.
The following Backgrounder is provided in order to help set the record straight on certain information that has been circulating in regards to his Bill.
BACKGROUND
1) The following was obtained from the CFIA and is offered in order to correct misunderstandings about the current flax contamination crisis and the timeline of the origins of this crisis:
FACT:
· 1996 GE flax “CDC Triffid” received approval for environmental release and for use as animal feed
· 1996 CDC Triffid was granted variety registration making it legal to sell as seed for animal feed or industrial purposes
· 1998 CDC Triffid received food safety authorization from Health Canada making it legal to produce and sell for human consumption
· 2001 Variety registration for CDC Triffid was removed, making it illegal to sell the seed
Flax farmers pressured the University of Saskatchewan to ask the CFIA to remove variety registration for CDC Triffid due to fear of losing their export markets, Europe in particular.
Clearly if a mechanism to consider market harm in the approval process had been in place at the time that the CDC Triffid was submitted for approval, the GE flax would not have been made legal to sell and the current contamination crisis that has resulted in the closure of our flax export markets would have been avoided.
2) “To keep markets open to all commodities, it’s critical that our system remain based firmly in science.” Ag Minister, Gerry Ritz – Thursday, March 18, in written statement.
FACT: Our trading partners will only open their markets to GE crops that they have approved for safety and so this is not a valid argument.
Canadian officials responsible for allowing this technology onto the market need a mandate to consider the impact it will have on those export markets, especially when the regulations are not harmonized with our trading partners and even more especially with GE wheat and GE alfalfa looming on the horizon.
Two varieties of GE Alfalfa have already passed unhindered through our environment and health approvals and only have to be registered as varieties to make them legal to sell as seed. If this is allowed the problems are foreseeable but with the mandate proposed by Bill C-474 they would be preventable.
3) “This Bill will clearly restrict technology and science. New technology holds the key to future prosperity.” Conservative response letter to email campaign supporting C-474.
FACT: Argentina, the third largest exporter of GE crops in the world (Canada’s is fifth), requires an analysis of potential harm to their export markets, along with environment and health assessments, as a consideration accompanying their approval process. Their industry is thriving.
4) “Had it been in place previously there would be no canola industry in Canada – the $12.2 billion dollars that is generated annually in Western Canada would be lost.” David Anderson, MP, letter response to email campaign supporting C-474.
FACT: The canola industry was well on its way to success as a result of varietal improvements from traditional breeding methods well before GE traits were introduced. Even today the genetic quality of canola is derived from traditional breeding (in particular hybrids) with some conventional varieties now containing a herbicide-tolerant gene.
In a January 18, 2010 edition of Forbes magazine, Monsanto CEO, Hugh Grant admits that genetic engineering cannot replace conventional breeding methods, which allow crop scientists to create hundreds of seed varieties tailored to different soils and weather. “If you have incredibly brilliant biotech and extraordinarily average seed, you will end up with average crop yields,” said Grant. “The thing the (genetic engineering) does is protect that pre-programmed yield,” said Grant
Tags: genetically modified