A coalition of businesses and organic and ecological advocacy groups is demanding that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency block attempts by Monsanto to register a genetically modified alfalfa variety.
In 2005, the CFIA approved it for field testing and Health Canada approved it for human consumption.
“All that is required is for Monsanto to apply for variety registration,” New Democratic Party MP Alex Atamanenko told an April 28 Parliament Hill news conference. “Once that happens, GM alfalfa will spread, contaminate organic fields and do much damage to the industry.”
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Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, said CFIA should reverse its 2005 approval.
“GM alfalfa would be a disaster for Canadian farmers and consumers,” she said. “Contamination from GM alfalfa would be inevitable and will have serious economic impacts on the livelihoods of both organic and conventional farmers. Alfalfa is a critical crop across the food production system and we must protect it for our collective future.”
The campaign against alfalfa genetically modified to be Roundup tolerant is being led by the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, which argues it would undermine the organic alfalfa seed business, the organic cattle business and potentially exports of alfalfa seed and pellets.
And once planted, the GM alfalfa variety would quickly spread because it is pollinated by bees that then travel as far as six kilometres, they said.
“The contamination of alfalfa would be inevitable and irreversible,” SOD representative Arnold Taylor said in a news release from the Saskatchewan group. “We’ve already seen an end to organic canola due to GM contamination and we can’t afford to lose alfalfa. Because it is pollinated by bees, genes from Monsanto’s GM alfalfa would spread out of control.”
Monsanto has not announced an intention to move quickly in applying for a variety registration.
In the United States, a judge has put a hurdle in the path to commercialization by ruling for a more thorough environmental review.
Atamanenko, a British Columbia MP, said the coalition is national, but he jumped the gun by assuming it included the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
The notice of his news conference said CFA executive secretary Brigid Rivoire would attend.
She did not attend and Atamanenko said he was mistaken to assume she would show up. He had sent the material to her and assumed her support rather than receiving confirmation.
In a later interview, CFA president Laurent Pellerin said he supported the view that regulators and industry should move cautiously when introducing new technology but he does not believe in blocking innovation.
“I think caution is right but I have a big problem with a ban on agricultural technology,” he said.
