THIRD WORLD NETWORK BIOSAFETY INFORMATION SERVICE
Dear Friends and Colleagues
Call To Rethink Genetically Engineered Herbicide-Tolerant Crops
Canadian civil society groups, the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) and Prevent Cancer Now, are calling on their government to rethink the use of genetically engineered (GE) herbicide-tolerant (HT) crops. This is in response to an application for approval of corn MON 87429, which is genetically engineered by Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) to tolerate four herbicides – dicamba, 2,4-D, quizalofop and glufosinate.
The groups have objected to the application because of the serious short-and long-term environmental, health and economic impacts of HT crops; and the lack of assessment of potential changes in pesticide use and related impacts. Approvals of GE HT crops since 1995 have led to a predominance of HT corn, canola, soy and sugarbeet production in Canada. Almost 100% of all the GE crops grown in Canada are genetically engineered to be herbicide-tolerant.
“This proposed GM corn demonstrates the breakdown of herbicide-tolerant crops,” said Lucy Sharratt of CBAN. “GM glyphosate-tolerant crops are no longer working due to the spread of glyphosate resistant weeds so companies are replacing them with GM crop plants that are tolerant to other herbicides. This is a short-term fix that will likely recreate the problem and further increase herbicide use.”
The groups are requesting a systematic review of the environmental, health, agronomic and economic impacts of the use of HT crops in Canada, and the development of an appropriate response to the failure of HT cropping systems. This process should include consultation with farmers and weed scientists, and experts in human and environmental health, and lead to the development of a national pesticide-reduction strategy to support biodiverse, resilient ecosystems and help transition to sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change.
With best wishes,
Third World Network
131 Jalan Macalister
10400 Penang
Malaysia
Email: twn@twnetwork.org
Websites: http://www.twn.my/and http://www.biosafety-info.net/
To subscribe to other TWN information services: www.twnnews.net
———————————————————————————————————
Item 1
PRESS RELEASE: CALL TO RE-THINK GENETICALLY ENGINEERED HERBICIDE-TOLERANT CROPS
Canadian Biotechnology Action Network and Prevent Cancer Now
22 August 2019
https://cban.ca/call-to-re-think-genetically-engineered-herbicide-tolerant-crops/
Proposed Monsanto corn tolerates four herbicides
Ottawa, August 22, 2019. Canadian civil society groups the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN) and Prevent Cancer Now (PCN) are calling for a review of the use of genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) herbicide-tolerant crops in Canada, in response to Monsanto’s request for government approval of a GM corn that can withstand applications of four herbicides, including 2,4-D and dicamba.(1)
“This proposed GM corn demonstrates the breakdown of herbicide-tolerant crops,” said Lucy Sharratt of CBAN. “GM glyphosate-tolerant crops are no longer working due to the spread of glyphosate resistant weeds so companies are replacing them with GM crop plants that are tolerant to other herbicides. This is a short-term fix that will likely recreate the problem and further increase herbicide use. A government review of the impacts of using herbicide-tolerant crops is needed.”
Over twenty years, herbicide-tolerant cropping systems have not reduced herbicide use in Canada as promised. Instead, herbicide sales have gone up and the use of herbicides has led to the development and spread of more herbicide resistant weeds, particularly glyphosate resistant weeds, which are in turn leading to the use of yet more herbicides.
Monsanto’s new proposed corn MON 87429 (now owned by Bayer) is the first GM crop plant to be tolerant to both 2,4-D and dicamba. Most herbicide tolerant crop plants on the market are now tolerant to more than one herbicide. MON 87429 is genetically engineered to tolerate four herbicides: dicamba, 2,4-D, quizalofop, and glufosinate.
“In the escalating weed wars, as herbicide use is increasing the industry is returning to hazardous chlorinated chemicals such as 2,4-D, dicamba and quizalofop,” said Meg Sears, Chair of PCN. “Returning to multiple older herbicide formulations can put farmers and consumers at risk.”
In comments to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CBAN and PCN call for comprehensive review of the environmental, health and economic impacts of using herbicide-tolerant crops in Canada.
“We need to evaluate the impacts of the whole system, not just assess individual products one by one,” said Sharratt.
Herbicide tolerant crops are designed to survive sprayings of particular pesticide formulations. Approvals of genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant crops since 1995 have led to a predominance of herbicide-tolerant cropping systems in corn, canola, soy and sugarbeet production in Canada. These systems are reliant on patented GM seeds and the accompanying brand-name herbicide formulations. Almost 100% of all the GM crops grown in Canada are genetically engineered to be herbicide-tolerant.
“A national pesticide-reduction strategy is urgently needed, to support biodiverse, resilient ecosystems and help transition to sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change,” said Sears.
For more information:
Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 902 209 4906
Meg Sears PhD, Prevent Cancer Now, 613 297 6042
NOTES:
(1) The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network and Prevent Cancer Now submitted comments to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency regarding a Notice of Submission of the proposed corn from Monsanto called MON 87429. The comments are posted at www.cban.ca/MON87429submission (Item 1).
——————————————————————————————————
Item 2
COMMENT ON NOTICE OF SUBMISSION
CMON 87429 corn genetically engineered for tolerance to dicamba, 2,4-D / quizalofop and glufosinate, and to have male sterility inducible by glyphosate
Submitted by the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network and Prevent Cancer Now
August 18, 2019
To the Biotechnology Notices of Submission, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
https://cban.ca/wp-content/uploads/MON-87429-CFIA_comment-PCN-CBAN-Aug2019.pdf
SUMMARY
Our objection to the approval of MON 87429 is related to:
- the serious short-and long-term environmental, health and economic impacts of HT crops; and
- the lack of assessment of potential changes in pesticide use and related impacts.
The promise of HT technology was to decrease herbicide use. Instead, HT crops have increased the use of herbicides, glyphosate in particular. This in turn has driven the wide-spread development of glyphosate-resistant weeds, increasing the quantity and variety of herbicides needed to control them.
This increased use of pesticides in food production has serious negative environmental consequences. The same pesticides are also implicated in serious health issues including cancers, chronic diseases and impairment of child development.
The GE HT technology model is breaking down. Rather than assess this failure and work to find solutions to protect the environment, our health, farmers’ livelihoods and food supplies, the CFIA is permitting companies to replace failing HT crops with new HT crops that are tolerant to multiple and older herbicides, as is the case with MON87429. The approval of such HT crops is a short-term fix that will further increase herbicide use and exacerbate the resultant economic, environmental and health risks.
Monsanto’s application for approval to commercialize MON 87429 is a clear demonstration of the unsustainability of HT cropping systems. We request a systematic review of the environmental, health, agronomic and economic impacts of the use of herbicide tolerant crops in Canada, and the development of an appropriate response to the failure of HT cropping systems.
This process should include consultation with farmers and weed scientists, and experts in human and environmental health, and lead to the development of a national pesticide-reduction strategy, bringing us closer to building resilient, sustainable agriculture in the face of climate change.