The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is pleased to see Bill C-474 defeated in the House of Commons.
Bill C-474 threatened to introduce non-science based criteria into Canada’s regulatory approval system for new seed technologies.
“If this legislation passed, it would have curtailed seed research and investment in Canada,” says Kevin Bender, President of the Wheat Growers. “The defeat of this Bill means we will continue to have access to new technologies that will contribute to the profitability and sustainability of our farms.”
Bill C-474, sponsored by Alex Atamanenko, NDP agriculture critic, was defeated in the House of Commons last night by a vote of 176 to 97.
Currently, Canada’s regulatory system requires a thorough food, feed and environmental risk assessment of any proposed new seed variety. Adopting Bill C-474 would have shifted Canada’s regulatory approach from a sound scientific basis into the highly subjective political arena. If passed, the legislation would have threatened the development of new seed technologies derived from biotechnology and other modern breeding tools.
“Canadian farmers have benefited greatly from the introduction of biotech traits” says Bender. “Benefits on my farm have included reduced fuel consumption, less soil erosion, fewer weed problems, lower pesticide use and higher yields.”
The Wheat Growers are looking forward to further benefits from the next generation of biotech traits, including improved fertilizer utilization, improved food nutrition, improved food safety (through the reduction of plant diseases that produce harmful mycotoxins) and varieties that can better withstand adverse growing conditions. These traits will combine to allow farmers to produce more food per acre using fewer overall inputs.
Bender concludes, “The Wheat Growers wish to thank those Members of Parliament who recognized the benefits of modern seed technologies and how these tools can be used to improve farm profitability, provide consumer benefits, and help conserve our natural resources.”
