The Rural Voice, 1999-08, Page 7Feedback
buyers wanting biotech -free corn
products will have the border rows
harvested separately before
supplying this premium -price
market. Why would requirements
differ for organic growers with their
premium markets?
Then.there's the issue of labels.
The most common current usage of
biotechnology involves grain corn,
soybeans and canola, but almost no
Canadian eats these in the
unprocessed form. Rather they are
components in the manufacture of
thousands of other food, beverage,
and non-food products, often in very
small.percentages. How far does the
labelling go? Ten per cent made from
corn? One per cent? 0.01? Should
toothpaste be labelled because it
contains sorbitol made from corn?
What about food packaging which
commonly contains corn -based glues
and sizing?
Further, how far and how specific
does the labelling go? There are lots
of different genes and technologies.
Different label information for each?
And should it extend to all
production technology? Should it list
all inputs used in crop and livestock,
production (including organic
pesticides, and/or the specifics of
alternative pest control methods)?
Should it tell what source of manure
was used as soil fertility and what
steps were taken to ensure that all
pathogens were killed during
composting? Or whether the crops
used were hybrids or natural crosses
— or rye, triticale, wheat and some
barley varieties, all of which involve
man-made transfers of genetic
material between species and/or
chemical treatments to change
chromosome structure?
Finally, there is a risk that such
label information could mask the
value of current label information
which is known to affect tiuman
health, via a dilution with
information on speculative, unknown
risks. How big should food labels be
— like pesticide labels'?
Advice from Europe is that
biotech labelling has been of
negligible value in informing
consumers or allaying their concerns
about biotechnology. Indeed, it may
have raised concerns where none
existed. No doubt this is part of the
strategy for some pro -label
advocates.
Ontario Corn Producers'
Association supports the right of
consumers — who so desire — to
purchase food grown in specific
ways. Choice already exists via
purchases from bona -fide organic
producers who will provide the
appropriate documentation — at a
price. Indeed, those who purchase
organic food should ask for this. But
is it right to impose higher costs on
all other consumers who simply want
the assurance that purchased food
meets Canadian health standards
based on the best available science,
and sold at prices which reflect the
cost -efficiencies of state-of-the-art
food -production technologies?0
– Anna Bragg, President
Ontario Corn Producers' Association
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AUGUST 1999 3