Rethinking Lifestyle

Two weeks ago we alerted readers of this column to a Steinbach presentation by Dr. Thierry Vrain. In response to that column, a letter from the president of CropLife Canada has emerged. This is our response to the CropLife letter.

The letter  last week from CropLife Canada was a disappointment to me, but should surprise no one. The writer of the letter says that he finds an allusion (in a Rethinking Lifestyle article) to what Dr. Vrain is saying “disconcerting”. Mr. Menzies, the writer of the letter, will decide for himself what he finds disconcerting. The reader will need to decide what really is disconcerting.

The issue is whether the long term, regular use of Roundup on all of our significant food crops is good for our health, and the health of our plant growing environment. Dr. Thierry Vrain, a retired, genetic engineer with Agriculture Canada, once actively promoted genetically engineered foods. Now he is now raising concerns about genetically engineered foods and our health. He shared these concerns with a Steinbach audience in July.

We need, in Canada, a very important discussion. This discussion is made necessary by the scientific advances we have made in the development of various agricultural chemicals, Roundup being perhaps the most significant. The discussion we need is whether the very obvious and substantial benefits that result from the use of Roundup sufficiently offset the newly emerging risks associated with the use of this (and other) agrochemicals.

Roundup has revolutionized the way farmers control weeds, and has made the task of controlling weeds immeasurably easier. No surprise then, that now almost all wheat, canola, corn and soybeans grown in Manitoba is sprayed with Roundup at least once annually, often twice. Also no surprise that traces of Roundup is now found in most of the food we eat, in mother’s breast milk, and in urine samples. This is information Dr. Vrain shared.

Furthermore, Dr. Vrain reminded us that the incidence of various diseases, notably autism, celiac, diabetes, and cancer, to name but a few has increased significantly in recent years. Anecdotaly we have all known that. What Dr. Vrain showed us is that there is an uncanny statistical correlation between the increasing use of Roundup and the incidence of many of these diseases.

Every scientist knows that correlation is not causation, but a good scientist becomes curious when correlation is evident, wondering why this correlation exists. What I find disconcerting is that Mr. Menzies, President of CropLife Canada, is not curious about the correlation. Dr. Vrain, by his own admission, was not curious about possible negative effects of GE technology while working at Ag Canada. Now, as more evidence of, not only correlation, but even possible causation is emerging, he has changed his mind.

What Dr. Vrain is saying, is that until we know more, let’s be cautious. What Mr. Menzies is saying is that we know all we need to know, so let’s go – full steam ahead.

If you check out the CropLife website, remember that the reason CropLife exists, and the reason the website exists is to promote the safety and efficacy of agrochemicals. So be sure to also Google Thierry Vrain and listen to one of his YouTube lectures.