Greenpeace Canada says Monsanto is guilty of phonetically modifying its stance on Roundup Ready wheat trials.
In May, the biotechnology company announced it was deferring plans to commercialize its controversial crop, including putting a halt to all breeding and field level research.
“No field trials. That’s done,” spokesperson Trish Jordan told the Western Producer.
But according to information Greenpeace obtained from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, that is not the case. There are 16 Roundup Ready trials being done at eight locations across Western Canada in 2004.
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“Farmers are taking solace in the fact that these trials aren’t happening and then we find out three months later that they are happening,” said Greenpeace genetic modification campaigner Pat Venditti.
Jordan denied allegations the company intentionally misled anybody.
She said Monsanto has completely stopped all the work it was doing on the crop, but students, academics and government researchers are still doing trials.
The company’s initial goal was to wrap up trials at all 30 locations that had been planned for 2004, but officials realized they would have to make exceptions.
“That was our goal. We had no idea whatsoever that these requests would come forward,” said Jordan.
“People came to us with legitimate concerns. Does Monsanto want to prevent a graduate student from getting his PhD? Of course not.”
Jordan said the company did not technically renege on statements it made in May, because Monsanto itself is not conducting the trials.
Venditti doesn’t buy that argument.
“According to the CFIA, the applications are filed by Monsanto,” he said.
“It is Roundup Ready wheat that is going in the ground and Monsanto controls whether that goes in the ground or not.”
Arnold Taylor, president of the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, said the company has lost credibility by changing its stance.
“They kind of speak with forked tongue,” he said.
His organization is attempting to mount a class action suit against Monsanto Canada Inc. and Bayer CropScience Inc. for damages it alleges were inflicted on the organic industry by the introduction of genetically modified canola.
A certification hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14-15 in Saskatoon.
Jordan said all trials are being conducted in compliance with Monsanto’s stewardship program and strict CFIA guidelines.
The only reason trials have been allowed to continue at those eight locations is so students and co-operating scientists can get their PhDs and publish their papers.
“There’s no benefit here for Monsanto. There’s no sinister motive that we’re continuing to do research on Roundup Ready wheat,” she said.
Venditti said he doesn’t care what the motive was.
“We might have eight researchers who are putting this in a field, but all producers in Western Canada are going to bear the liability if there’s an escape.”
