By Alex Binkley
Originally published in Ontario Farmer
For the third time in four years, the Commons has defeated an opposition proposal to label genetically engineered foods. As in the past, the Conservatives and a large chunk of the Liberals opposed the motion that was advanced by the Bloq Quebecois this time.
The opposition trotted out all the old arguments about consumers’ right to know what’s in their food, their comments always tinged with the usual suggestion that GE foods are unsafe. Apparently the Bloq, NDP and a bunch of urban Liberals don’t bother to consider why many farmers choose to grow GE crops.
So we’ll let some farmers who are also MPs explain.
Conservative Rob Merrifield, chairman of the Commons health committee grows GE crops on his Alberta farm. He says food safety is a primary concern of government. “If there is any health risk at all with genetically modified foods, we should not just label them but eliminate them. If there is not a risk, we should accept them and use them as an advantage for our crops and foods so that we provide them not only for Canadians but our trading partners.
“It is also important to know that when a genetically modified food is put on our shelves, there has been an extensive seven year process by Health Canada or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency of analyzing, assessing and determining whether the product meets the safety standards in Canada. It is very important to understand that,” he said.
“My fear is that if we put a label on genetically modified foods the electorate would not quite understand what it means,” he said.
After more than a decade with GE foods on the market, “there has yet to be scientific research that shows those novel foods are less safe than the conventional ones.
James Bezan, chairman of the Agriculture committee, said the government is focused on improving the safety of imported foods as well as domestic.
With concerns about food shortages globally, farmers shouldn’t be prevented from adopting whatever technologies they think could safely increase production and be profitable.
“We know there is greater need out there that can only be met through new technology and improvements to our production systems. Farmers should be allowed to adapt those to make the most money they possibly can and feed the world.”
Farmers use GE seeds even though they cost more because they are hardier and can be grown with less pesticides, he said.
Wayne Easter, the Liberal agriculture spokesman, said the Bloq approach “would impose costs on Canadian consumers, producers and processors, either driving up the costs of food, or driving down producers' returns, or more likely both, and for what gain?
This bill would do absolutely nothing for the safety of food and it would not really clarify choice for consumers.”
If consumers have a concern about GE foods, they can buy organic products which are not allowed to contain any modified ingredients, he said. In the meantime, Parliament should find important issues to debate.
______