Farmers and concerned residents took to the streets in a number of Ontario municipalities, as well as across the country, to protest the introduction of genetically-modified alfalfa.
According to the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), which organized the rallies, there are concerns about the impact the genetically-modified (GM) alfalfa could have on existing crops.
Commonly harvested as hay, alfalfa is used as feed for animals as well as to build nutrients in the soil, especially for organic farming.
CBAN says that because alfalfa is a perennial plant pollinated by insects, releasing a GM strain would contaminate existing non-GM and organic crops, threatening the export and organic markets.
It added there is no demand for the GM seed, and farmers were not consulted on the crop’s introduction.
But Grain Growers of Canada, which represents over 50,000 farmers, disagrees with the protesters.
In a statement, president Stephen Vandervalk said “We support Canada’s robust science-based regulatory environment which ensures any new crops are proven safe for human consumption, animal feed and our environment.”
The organization added that globally, farmers are increasingly accepting GM seeds because it reduces the pesticides need to deal with weeds, insects and disease.
The GM alfalfa variety has already been approved in Canada, but must still be registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency before it can be commercially released.
