In response to the May 6 Western Producer article “Wheat hybrids get a boost with AgrEvo – gov’t backing”, where Janice MacKinnon commented that she hopes the company can do for farmers, with wheat, what has been done with canola.
I would like to point out to her that what has been done with canola in the last few years has effectively shut Canadian farmers out of 40 percent of their canola markets.
I’m very disappointed with our socialist government’s promotion of the corporate agendas that are now in the last stages of removing control of food production from the hands of farmers.
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Rather than join the Americans in pushing this unsafe, unnecessary and unwanted technology, that is leading to world domination of the food system by a few transnational corporations, would it not make more sense to put ourselves in a position to produce the products that the buyers want?
Food produced in an environmentally friendly manner, without the use of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) or growth hormones, is the agriculture of the future.
European countries are moving toward more sustainable food production systems; while we are committing ourselves to a system that has been proven to be socially, environmentally and economically unsustainable.
I am not opposed to genetic research. What I object to is the indiscriminate application of these new technologies by companies whose only motive is to control these new life forms for profit.
Most of the work being done today in genetic engineering is not science, it is technicians working in corporate laboratories rushing to produce marketable products for their bosses.
This is the biotech industry that is so strongly supported by our current government. The pursuit of this kind of activity for economic benefit, with no regard for environmental, social and health implications, is irresponsible in the extreme.
I believe we have a choice to make. Do we move to produce the foods that more and more of the consumers are demanding, or do we join the United States in a trade war with the Europeans in an attempt to force them to buy products they don’t want?
– Darryl R. Amey,
Radisson, Sask.
