To: Trost.B@parl.gc.ca, Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca, EasteW@parl.gc.ca, Goodale.R@parl.gc.ca
Brad, Michael, Wayne, Ralph,

As a farmer in Saskatchewan who has grown certified organic field crops including forage crops, organic beef and poultry for the past 25 years; I ask you to be present and vote in favor of Bill C-474 on February 9, 2011.

A vote in Parliament on genetic engineering this Wednesday February 9 that could help support the future of my farm and all other family farms.
Bill C-474 would support Canada's farmers by requiring that “an analysis of potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of any new genetically engineered seed is permitted.”

As is quite evident with canola, no containment of genetically engineered (GE) canola is possible and growing it organically is now impossible. It would be worse for alfalfa. With the flax crisis, because of genetically engineered variety escaping into commercial production, export markets were severely affected.

Alfalfa is an essential source of nutrients and organic matter for any organic rotation including feed or soil building green manure. It is grown in many places and is a major export regionally, nationally and internationally as pellets, cubes, fodder, seed, and for consumption sprouting. Monsanto's Roundup Ready GE alfalfa has just been approved by the USDA in the United States, despite major opposition and proof of its harm.

If genetically modified alfalfa seed enters Canada from the US or is ever approved in Canada, contamination will occur ubiquitously just like what happened with canola. Organic growers will loose their ability to grow one of the best crops available to them and possibly lose their livelihood in the process. There is zero containment possible, canola proved this.

My choice as a farmer has been unilaterally taken from me, I will have contamination, my livelihood will be taken away and no one will be held liable. That is a devastating scenario.

Organic farmers and chemical farmers alike grow alfalfa for a burgeoning livestock market and for green manure plow downs especially on organic farms. With the protection offered in this bill, all farms could be saved from contamination.

Fighting against a company like Monsanto and their billion dollar budgets for marketing, lobbying and legal enforcement, is near impossible. There are tens of thousands of small farming families across Canada who cannot possibly stand up against the multinationals. This is why we rely on the due diligence of our elected representatives in Parliament. There are MPs that understand this issue and will vote in favor of this bill to protect their constituency. I expect the same from my MP and all others.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops have already cost us. In the fall of 2003 we had Monsanto's Roundup Ready canola blow from a neighbour's field, across the road and into one of our fields because of a high wind when the crop was about ready to be harvested. The plants were light because of the dry-down they had from the time they were swathed in preparation for harvest. Fortunately we had a tree shelter belt 150 feet into the field that kept the canola plants and seed from spreading into our yellow mustard seed crop. We estimate that the loss from losing organic certified status on that mustard and therefore losing the market opportunity, would have been at least $14,000.00; a huge crippling impact on our farm and family. Nevertheless, we have had to incur extra expense to rogue out GE canola plants that ended up growing in that narrow field, plus spend time inspecting the field and documenting everything to the satisfaction of our certifying agency.

Then in early 2010 we had to pay hundreds of dollars for a laboratory in Saskatoon to analyze our flax seed to ensure that none of the GE Triffid flax had contaminated it. If ever there was a more clear cut example of why we need to at least have a Bill C-474 in place, it is because of this incredible flax situation. Despite the flax growers association rejecting Triffid flax it was still grown on select pedigree seed farms before it was shelved. That started the chain of events that ended up finding this GE Triffid flax in commercial sales into the EU market and then a multitude of countries banned any flax from Canada to enter their markets, including organic flax.

This isn’t about the just the health safety of a feed like alfalfa, this is about the culture of food production, the future of sustainable farming, and the export capacity our farmers have been recognized for world wide.

This is not about feeding the world; this is about marketing at its worse. It is an offense to peoples’ intelligence to say that genetically engineered seed will save us. In the past two decades of GE crops production by agro/pharmaceutical industry, there has been no health benefits or environmental benefits. What there has been is only the promotion of ever increasing amounts of synthetic carcinogenic chemicals to sustain quarterly earnings of multinational chemical/pharma/agro companies. No drought tolerant crop has been produced, no frost hardy seed has been developed; it is quite simply an incredibly forceful lobby power for the sale of chemicals disguised in marketing terms to match the GE seeds herbicide tolerance.

In addition; with the introduction of genetically engineered seeds, it is not possible for farmers to maintain their right to save any seed.

Furthermore; there has never been any proper research on health effects of genetically engineered plants/feed/food. Apart from all the negative effects of GE crops on farms, the environment, rural communities,etc. there are the unknown but real negative effects on animal and human health.

I ask you to vote for Bill C-474 to ensure there is an assessment done to protect farmers and the 'value chain' participants, the environment, the future of the strongest farming sector in the world which is organics, and our children's and grandchildren's future.

This bill does not say no to genetic engineering; it works for the people of Canada to make sure the choices we make are based upon sound research into the impacts of questionable technology and marketing.

Uphold the precautionary principle, which Canada is signatory to, and act for the people of Canada whom you represent.

Thank you for your time and for being present to debate and vote in favor of Bill C-474.

Please feel free to contact me.

Regards.
Marc Loiselle
Loiselle Organic Family Farm
Box 25
Vonda, SK
S0K 4N0