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- Genetically Modified
- Food
- Corporatocracy or democracy?
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Many thanks to Eduard for initiating action to correct.
The article from the Vancouver Sun is about the National Research Council (NRC) “forging ahead with GM wheat”. Two corrections:
- See “Apparently today the NRC issued a statement saying that they are not trying to develop GM wheat.”
- There is one spokesperson named in the article, Maureen Fitzhenry. But she is NOT the spokesperson for the NRC. Maureen is with the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB). I just hung up the phone from talking with Maureen, to apologize for the mistake. She was appreciative of the call. It was an opportunity to provide further input.
Many thanks to Stewart Wells, past President of the NFU and now board member of the CWB, for his input:
From: Stewart Wells
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 8:29 PM
Subject: RE: Canada to forge ahead with genetically modified wheat
Hi Ed and Sandra, thanks for copying me with the emails. I have been making some enquiries.
Cathy Holtslander at the NFU office has been trying to track down the reporter that broke the story with no luck.
Apparently today the NRC issued a statement saying that they are not trying to develop GM wheat.
And the comment used from Maureen Fitzhenry was chopped up and incomplete. Maureen was in no way changing the CWB position which is still the rejection of GM wheat on the basis of market harm. And Ian White did an interview yesterday with Reuters that re-affirmed the CWB’s old position, but the story has not appeared as yet.
I’m not sure if you saw the article from last week, but the Premier of Western Australia also rejected the introduction of GM wheat on the basis of market harm—that is very good news when our competitors take that stand.
All for now, Stewart Wells
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Input from Ken,
I doubt that Maureen Fitzhenry would make those comments. should you wish to contact her she is at…
Ian White’s letter talks about tolerances and segregation, a major weakness of the CWB position. Both are impossible.
(Sandra speaking: that lesson has been learned so well from RR canola and from Triffid flax. How can they continue the rhetoric? I agree completely. Acceptable levels of contamination (tolerance) and segregation are impossible. More “stupid intelligence”.)
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Canada to forge ahead with genetically modified wheat, Vancouver Sun
By Tom Spears, Postmedia NewsApril 5, 2011 10:25 AM
The National Research Council plans to develop genetically modified wheat in Canada — a measure long resisted by the country’s wheat farmers.
The NRC says Canadian wheat farmers are becoming less productive and need to adapt, especially in the face of climate change. It suggests GM wheat as a solution.
In the past week, senior NRC management has been unveiling its long-term strategy to its researchers and other staff. The goal, says a leaked copy of the plan, is to become a “market-driven organization whose primary goal is to develop and deploy technology.”
And it says building better wheat is one of the top goals.
Canada is “losing global market share for our exports,” it says. “Our annual productivity is ranked last against other top producing countries.” As demand rises, “climate change is impacting our agricultural production.”
The document outlines how transgenic wheat could produce new hybrids that will be “a game changer.” (Transgenic organisms have DNA modified through genetic engineering techniques, to create a desirable trait such as resistance to disease.)
But the document warns that a “huge effort” will be necessary to decode all the genetic material in wheat and to learn what traits can be manipulated in the lab.
The Canadian Wheat Board, which represents growers, has opposed GM wheat for years only because it is difficult to sell in Asia and Europe. And it disputes the view of its growers as unproductive. But it does welcome the offer to decode the DNA of wheat.
Spokeswoman Maureen Fitzhenry said that “mapping the wheat genome is a worthwhile goal that does not necessarily mean GM varieties. It would be good for plant breeding in all senses.”
And she said the board is pleased that the NRC promises to let the marketplace “define the need for and acceptance of the technologies.”
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