Federal politicians on the agriculture committee planned to turn their attention to both the potential and potential dangers of biotechnology as Parliament resumed sitting today.
The House of Commons agriculture committee resumes hearings on biotechnology, starting meetings in Ottawa Feb. 3 and then heading out the week of Feb. 7 for hearings from Alberta to Prince Edward Island.
Pro-biotech MPs Randy Hoback, a Saskatchewan Conservative, and Francis Valeriote, an Ontario Liberal, jointly proposed the study.
“You know, the days of growing corn in Saskatchewan aren’t too far away,” Hoback said in December as Ottawa hearings opened.
“In fact, in some areas they’re growing corn now, where 20 years ago they would not grow corn. So I look at it and I get really excited, but there are some questions we need to answer, and some hurdles. I want to see this industry grow. Regardless of what we think personally, it has to happen.”
But New Democrat agriculture critic Alex Atamanenko, a biotech skeptic, sees the committee as a chance to raise concerns about genetically modified varieties.
Atamanenko said he will use the committee hearings to press the point that there are dangers in releasing GM varieties that could face market resistance and contamination of non-GM fields.
He is sponsoring a controversial private member’s bill, C-474, that would require an economic analysis of potential market harm before a new GM variety is approved. It could have final debate and vote in the Commons as early as Feb. 8.
The bill is expected to be defeated by Conservative and Liberal MPs. There has also been a strong opposition lobby from the biotechnology industry and some farm groups.
Liberal agriculture critic Wayne Easter said he wants to encourage debate at committee about the future of Canada’s business risk management programs for farmers.
Details of the next five-year BRM program are being worked out by federal and provincial bureaucrats and through periodic meetings of agriculture ministers.
It takes effect April 1, 2013.
During a Jan. 28 news conference from a trade trip to Morocco, agriculture minister Gerry Ritz said his priority for Parliament this winter is to see free trade bills already in Parliament move forward.
“There’s always an agricultural agenda,” he said. “Sometimes it’s done behind the scenes, not so much on the floor of the House. We are aggressive when it comes to moving forward on trade situations and we’ll continue to do that.”
