As post-industrial thinking farmers we try and stay as informed as time allows on all things GMO (genetically modified organisms). There have been some fairly significant announcements from our neighbours to the south in the last few weeks and I can't help but worry about how it is going to affect us up here in the Great White North.
The first big announcement was the unconditional approval of GM Alfalfa by the USDA. Once again Monsanto had applied to bring another of their genetically modified plants to the open market and the USDA was faced with the monumental decision of allowing the seeds to be planted by American farmers. The seeds are genetically engineered to be resistant to Monsanto's prolific herbicide Round Up. You know that stuff you spray on the weeds that grow in the cracks of your driveway? Well it is the most widely used herbicide going and industrial farmers already spray millions of gallons of the stuff on their patented Monsanto GM corn, canola, cotton, and soy. As of this latest decision, we can also add in alfalfa which is widely used as cattle feed (along with grain, but I won't get on that rant right now).
The opposition to this decision was very vocal and wide spread. Groups like the Center for Food Safety, and the Food and Water Watch lobbied long and hard to try and have some concessions made for those of us who don't want GM crops invading our fields. You see, here's the thing , if our neighbour decides to grow a GM crop, our fields are put at risk of being contaminated by their crop. It is a simple thing for that crop to spread its pollen into our field and the next thing you know, we are growing genetically altered crops without our knowledge. But it gets even crazier. If that were to happen, Monsanto has every right to sue us for copyright infringement. Yeah, that's right. Their crap spreads in to our fields and we are legally responsible for growing something they own. It started with Percy Schmeiser back in 2004 in Saskatchewan and it has been happening all over North America ever since.
The watchdog groups were lobbying to have certain protocols put in place that would protect organic agriculture and ensure that we don't loose any of our bio-diversity by making sure that all of the conventional crops would remain available. It even looked like Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was going to play ball when he issued a public letter recognizing the impact of GM crops on organic agriculture. There was real hope from the post-industrial crowd for awhile, until the announcement came that Secretary Vilsack had decided to abandon any sort of co-existence approach and fully deregulated the crop. Epic Fail.
The consequences of these decisions are pretty far reaching. Take sugar beets for example. There is, of course, a genetically modified sugar beet out there that is owned by Monsanto. It was introduced back in 2007/2008 and there has been a fight raging over the crop ever since. Sugar beets provide about half the sugar that the US consumes so it is naturally in Monsanto's interest to own that crop. Since the introduction of the GM sugar beet, conventional sugar beet seeds have nearly become extinct. It has gone so far that when the USDA imposed a moratorium on planting GM sugar beet back in August of 2010, farmers quickly found out that there simply wasn't enough conventional seed available to meet the demand for that staple of the American diet, refined white sugar. The USDA's answer? Cave in. Last week the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) department again decided to partially deregulate the use of GM sugar beets. Yet another link in our food chain patented and controlled by a corporation. Conventional seeds get run out of town and more and more of our food is controlled by giant multi-national corporations with the express purpose of making as much money as possible.
So, what does this mean for us Canadians? Coincidentally enough, there is a Bill before the House as we speak that would put a hold on the sale of any new GM seeds while the impact of GM crops on our food exports is studied. There is even a 5 hour debate scheduled for tomorrow. So this is where you and I step in. CBAN has been working really hard to get the average joe and jane to contact their MP and make their voice heard in favor of not selling our agriculture out to corporate profits. They have made it dead simple to contact your MP. Just go here, enter your postal code and you are done. Don't take this one lying down. The last thing your farmers need is even more looming threats of law suits from Monsanto. Life shouldn't be owned, and Monsanto's GM crops don't belong in Canada.
/rant off
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 08:59AM