Coalition repeats call for action on GM Alfalfa

For Immediate Release

 

June 19, 2017

 

On Friday, June 16, the Manitoba Organic Alliance (MOA) joined thirteen other concerned organizations across the country to remind the Honorable Lawrence MacAulay of their April 16 2016 call to cancel variety registration for all genetically modified (GM) alfalfa until completion of a full economic impact assessment and to establish a protocol for testing all imports of alfalfa seed grown in the US.

 

“Once again, we are reminding the Minister of the dangers of GM alfalfa in Canada, and recommending concrete steps to mitigate economic harm to Canadian agricultural industries,” said MOA President Kate Storey

 

Because of its high tendency towards cross pollination, GM alfalfa presents great risk of contamination of non GM fields. Regulated products such as certified organic or non GM products are especially threatened by this risk.

 

The letter asks the Minister to take three actions:

• Deregister GM alfalfa varieties
• Make locations of GM alfalfa plantings public so farmers can protect their fields and crops until all GM alfalfa varieties are taken off the market, and
• Test imports of alfalfa seed grown in the US

“There is still time, through these steps, to mitigate risk to our industry. We hope the Minister will act swiftly.” Said Storey

 

Through local distributors, the company Forage Genetics International (FGI) is marketing alfalfa with combined GM traits for low-lignin and glyphosate tolerance. In 2016, the company sold a limited amount of seed in Eastern Canada and is selling the seed on wider scale for 2017.

 

Please see the letter at http://www.nfuontario.ca/wpr/gm-alfalfa/.

 

Contact:

 

Kate Storey, MOA president 204-546-2099

 

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