A Manitoba forage group claims the federal agriculture minister has committed to conducting an economic impact study before approving Roundup Ready alfalfa for commercialization.
That would be a huge departure from existing regulations.
Manitoba Forage Seed Association president Leslie Jacobson said he met with minister Gerry Ritz two times this spring.
“Both times he said there would be an economic impact study done before GM alfalfa would be released,” Jacobson said.
He is confident such a study would conclude that alfalfa seed growers would lose a $12.8 million market in Europe if the crop was commercialized because the Europeans have zero tolerance for Roundup Ready alfalfa.
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Jacobson believes that would force the government to deregister the product.
Ritz was unavailable for an interview so he couldn’t be asked about what transpired in his meeting with forage growers, but he provided an e-mail response that seemed to indicate the government wouldn’t conduct an economic impact study.
“Farmers are the best ones to assess the economics of these products and registration decisions will be based on industry consensus,” the e-mail said.
“For example, producers chose to pull back registration on GM wheat, while they continue to strongly support GM canola.”
Misunderstanding?
Trish Jordan, spokesperson for Monsanto Canada, which developed Roundup Ready alfalfa, thinks Jacobson must have misunderstood the minister.
She said she has had no indication that the government is contemplating an economic impact study, which would be a significant departure from the current science-based regulatory system.
Jordan also disagreed with other statements made by Jacobson, including one suggesting Agriculture Canada believes the regulatory process for GM crops needs to be strengthened.
“All of the conversations we’ve had with the Canadian regulatory agencies would be completely opposite of that assertion that Mr. Jacobson made,” she said.
Jacobson also said that Ritz told him the government couldn’t force Monsanto to destroy its Roundup Ready alfalfa trials because the previous government signed a contract with the company.
However, Ritz told him Ottawa would not permit any expansion of the trials.
“That is completely false. We don’t have any contracts with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and we never have,” Jordan said.
“I don’t know where they are getting their information, but it’s just completely wrong.”
She also said the company has received food, feed and environmental regulatory approval for Roundup Ready alfalfa, giving it the right to conduct as many field trials as it wants.
Monsanto operated 12 research trials, four in each prairie province, in 2008 and 2009 on a total of 25 acres.
These trials have generated all the data the company needs to apply for an expanded label for its Roundup herbicides.
The trials have been terminated and nothing will be planted in 2010.
