Newsroom
2003
CWB urges federal government to close gap on GM wheat
April 3, 2003
Winnipeg – CWB Chair Ken Ritter today called on the federal government to close the regulatory gap on genetically modified (GM) wheat by adding a cost-benefit analysis to the government’s approval process. Ritter’s comments came as he appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food in Ottawa, along with farmer-elected director Bill Nicholson and CWB staff.
Under the current regulatory system, GM wheat can be approved for unconfined release if it meets food, feed and environmental safety standards. This means Monsanto’s Roundup Ready wheat could be approved for unconfined release in early 2004. “The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated,” Ritter said.
The introduction of Roundup Ready wheat would have a devastating impact on western Canadian farmers, Ritter pointed out. “Over 80 per cent of the markets we sell into are not open to GM wheat,” Ritter said. “Being shut out of premium wheat markets around the world would cost farmers hundreds of millions of dollars per year.”
Adding a cost-benefit analysis to the current regulatory system would ensure the concerns of Prairie farmers and their customers around the world are given appropriate consideration. This analysis should not only look at the impact of lost markets, Ritter said, but should also consider the costs associated with segregating GM from non-GM wheat and the costs of controlling volunteer GM wheat plants which show up in other crops. These issues are of particular concern given the importance of wheat in most farmers’ crop rotations.
“We do not question the science underlying the existing system,” Ritter said. “However, this system does not adequately protect the interests of farmers or our customers from consumer rejection for non-science based reasons.”
The CWB has been working closely with a group of producer and industry stakeholders on this issue, Ritter noted. “By working in partnership with industry, farmers and the federal government, we are confident we can find a solution that will maintain Canada’s place as a leader in world trade and innovation.”
The full text of Ritter’s remarks to the Standing Committee is posted on the CWB Web site, www.cwb.ca, along with materials referenced in the presentation.
Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. As one of Canada’s biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to more than 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less marketing costs, to Prairie farmers
For more information, please contact:
Rhéal Cenerini
Communications consultant
Winnipeg, MB
tel: (204) 983-4497