The National Farmers Union says Canada and other countries have undermined a defacto moratorium on the terminator gene.
It contends a resolution adopted last week at the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity in Spain paves the way to allow for the testing of terminator plant varieties on a case-by-case basis.
Australia, New Zealand and Canada were instrumental in forcing that change in policy, said the farm group.
“This flies in the face of any regard for farmers, citizens and the world’s biosphere. Why would Canada help to unleash something as dangerous as terminator on the world?” said NFU vice-president Terry Boehm.
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Campbell Davidson, director of international science co-operation at Agriculture Canada and part of Canada’s delegation in Spain, said the NFU is distorting the facts.
He said there never has been a moratorium on what is broadly referred to as Genetic Use Restriction Technologies, or GURTS.
The new recommendation adopted in Spain largely echoes what has been the convention’s policy on terminator gene technology since 2000.
The recommendation agreed to by all the parties at the convention states that in accordance with the precautionary approach, products incorporating such technologies should not be approved for field testing until appropriate scientific data can justify such testing.
“That sits very well within the Canadian regulatory framework,” said Davidson.
“It doesn’t matter what the technology is, we approach it the same way. We will not field test anything that is unsafe. That is really our bottom line.”
But the NFU said the wording of the recommendation allows terminator technology, a form of genetic modification that renders seeds sterile at harvest so they won’t grow the following year, to be introduced into the environment through the back door.
Boehm accused Canada’s delegation of taking advantage of the election of a Conservative government to push through an agenda benefiting multinational seed and chemical companies.
The NFU was also critical of the Liberal government last February when it supported a similar resolution at a Convention on Biological Diversity in Thailand.
Davidson denied the accusation of political influence and said the delegation was sent to Spain to protect the rights of Canadian farmers.
He said the government realizes terminator technology is a sensitive issue and there has to be a balance between paving the way for assessing a technology that offers some obvious benefits, like controlling the spread of GM crops, and protecting the right for farmers to save their seed.
But he said the new recommendation does not give governments the power to rubber-stamp terminator gene technology. They will be subject to the same stringent Canadian Food Inspection Agency evaluation as other plants with novel traits.
“We have one of the best regulatory processes in the world and I have no qualms about saying that,” said Davidson.
