I've become really active on a particular issue at the moment that I've come to believe is incredibly important.
There's a bill being voted on Tomorrow (Wednesday!) that's really really simple. It's basically one line that says: "Any new crops that are to be grown in Canada must first be studied to see what their effect on Export markets will be."
Simple but the ramifications are massive for farmers, consumers - especially the organic sector. Bother eaters and growers. Just last week the USA approved Genetically Engineered (GE) Alfalfa which being an open-pollinated plant, pollinated by bees and other insects has the potential to be unstoppable even if planted on a tiny area.
Because of it's way of reproducing Alfalfa pollen can drift over 1 KM on the wind and can travel much further via pollinating insects. This means that GE pollen will certainly mingle with non-GE Alfalfa contaminating it and causing future generations of that plant to contain the patented trait for herbicide tolerance. Organic standards do not allow ANY GE material.
Alfalfa is an irreplaceable protein source for all manner of livestock. It's the main protein source in hay and grass-forage making it a primary foodstock for Cattle both dairy and beef. It's pelletized and fed to chickens all over the world both for egg-layers and meat birds. It's also used as a cover crop to tie up nutrients rather than let a field stay bare and experience erosion.
Therefore if released GE Alfalfa will completely wipe out the organic sector. Meaning your ability to make food choices - the ability to choose organic, or non-GMO - will be incredibly impoverished. Even if you don't eat Organic you will now be consuming more GE material than ever before without labeling, without studies and without any safeguards to your health. If you want to eat Organic in the future you will not have that choice.
GE Alfalfa is only one in a line of new GE crops that are in line to enter the Canadian food and farming system.
This Bill - C-474 simple aims to put a level of regulation in place to make sure that when a crop is released on the market that there are people out there in the world that want it. Is that unreasonable? The anti-bill C-474 folks says it will stifle innovation and lead to lost markets but that argument is ridiculous when compared to the level of risk being taken on by Canadian Farmers and you the Canadian eater! Europe, one of largest purchasers of Canadian foodstuffs has a 0 tolerance policy towards Genetically Modified products.
Why would we shoot ourselves in the foot and undermine one of our best export markets? Canada has almost zero regulation in regards to novel (ie. Genetically Engineered) foods. We as Canadians deserve better. We are what we eat!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write or call your MP and tell them to vote YES to bill C-474 tommorrow. Here's a quick link and stuff to save you time.
Please act today! Tomorrow is the vote!
If you want to take further action you can also email the Liberal Party brass since it's the Liberals that are the swing vote on this issue.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far.
There's a deep misconception among some of the political parties that the current regulatory framework we have in Canada is science based. It is not. It is based on a few studies all of which have been performed by the bio-tech industry itself. While I write this I am listening to the debate about bill C-474. Our politicians say that we, the Canadian people are out of touch with food and agriculture but as per the usual it is them who are behind. Let the people lead and the leaders will follow.
I've also heard much from the politicians about 'advancement,' about 'technology' in regard to agriculture. They say that this bill and indeed any other that challenges the status quo will stymy and delay advancement costing precious dollars. Of course the only technology they are talking only is bio-technology or chemical technology. There is no recognition, nor funds to the advancement of technology or innovation in the organic sector. A crop rotation is an innovation! So is using a smaller tractor to more efficiently produce food! The studies are in and continue to come that organic agriculture can match and in some cases exceed the yields of convention, oil-dense farming.
Obviously I care deeply about this issue, hopefully I've given you a reason to care about it too. If you eat, this bill and the issue of GE foods affect you too!
Comment by Monica Graf on March 2, 2011 at 17:01 
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