Pierre-Luc Dusseault, an MP for Canada’s New Democrat Party, recently tabled a bill in the Canadian Parliament calling for the labeling of genetically-engineered (GE) foods. “It’s about being more transparent and giving more information to consumers,” says Dusseault.
In the United States and Canada, the major GE crops include soybeans, corn, canola, and cotton. In 2012, for example, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 93 percent of soy and 73 percent of all corn planted were herbicide tolerant (genetically engineered to withstand herbicides). The statistics are similar in Canada.
Papaya, sugar beet, and some types of squash are also genetically engineered. In Canada this year, GE alfalfa was made commercially available despite the fact that many farmers, both conventional and organic alike, do not see the urgent need for the technology.
Genetic engineering makes farming easier, hence the quick adoption of the technology. GE corn was fist introduced in the U.S. in 1996 — just twenty years ago. Rather than being pressured by weed management, farmers spray herbicides and save a lot of time and hard work. The most commonly-used herbicide today is glyphosate.
But at what cost? Although the argument is often made that farmers need to use less pesticides with genetically engineered crops, studies show that pesticide use has actually increased since their introduction. A 2012 report released by the US-based Food and Water Watch found that the “total volume of glyphosate applied to the three biggest GE crops — corn, cotton, and soybeans — increased 10-fold from 15 million pounds in 1996 to 159 million pounds in 2012.” Although herbicide use on corn, soybeans, and cotton was found to decrease in the early years GM crops were adopted (15 percent between 1998 and 2001), as weeds developed resistance to glyphosate, farmers applied more and more herbicides and total herbicide use has been on the rise.
The story is likely the same in Canada, although statistics detailing pesticide application amounts are hard to pin down. Many citizens are concerned about the negative effects of pesticide use on both human and environmental health.
For Dusseault, the issue of concern is transparency and providing Canadians with information that allows them to make informed food choices. Around the world, more than 65 jurisdictions have made the labeling of GE foods mandatory. The list includes all countries of the EU, as well as countries like Australia, Brazil, China, Ecuador, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and many more. In the state of Vermont, a GE labeling bill will come into effect this July. Dusseault says major agri-food companies in the U.S. have already announced their willingness to comply with the new labeling rules.
Although similar bills have been put forward in the past, this is the first time a bill on this issue will be debated in the House of Commons. Dusseault urges Canadians to reach out to their local MPs showing their support for the bill (Bill C-291), which is expected to be debated in November or December this year.