An international campaign against genetically modified wheat is using Canada’s flax fiasco to make its case.
Farmer and consumer groups in Canada, the United States and Australia issued a statement last June rejecting GM wheat.
Last week, they issued a news release in Canada, the U.S., Australia and Japan stating that 233 groups in 26 countries have signed on to the statement.
The news release also highlighted Canada’s problems with contamination of its flax crop with the GM variety Triffid.
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National Farmers Union president Terry Boehm said in the release that Canadian farmers have lost export sales to Europe and other markets because of a GM variety that was deregistered a decade ago and never sold.
“Our experience with GM flax contamination clearly illustrates the crippling losses Canadian farmers will suffer if GM wheat is introduced,” Boehm said.
“Flax is yet another warning that once a GM crop is introduced, contamination is inevitable.”
Monsanto announced in July that it was resuming research aimed at developing commercial GM wheat, after a coalition of U.S., Canadian and Australian farm groups said they wanted access to GM wheat.
Last week’s news release included comments from a Japanese anti-GM group that argued a large majority of consumers in that country are opposed to GM wheat.
“We see opposition from all sectors of society,” said a spokesperson for Japan’s No! GMO campaign.
It also included a statement from the Flour Millers Association of Japan opposing GM wheat.
An official with the U.S. National Family Farm Coalition said GM wheat would contaminate crops and food and end the organic grain industry.
