Instead of an objective discussion on genetically modified crops at the Yukon Agricultural Association meeting, we got a letter in the paper from the president of the world’s largest pesticide and biotech lobby group.
Unbelievable!
This tells me it’s time we had a real discussion here in the Yukon about genetically modified crops. How about an exchange of real information?
Barb Drury tried to get a discussion happening locally and the article about her struggle to get the agricultural association to debate genetically modified foods seems to have hit a corporate nerve. Now CropLife president Lorne Hepworth has written to tell all of us that Drury needs more information.
Hepworth, here I sit across the river from Drury and wonder why you took her to task for asking the same questions about genetically engineered crops and foods that I have. Many times. This doesn’t sit right with me.
Why don’t you and our local agriculture association meet here in the fall? Air North has great off-season rates and we can surely find a billet for you so you can enjoy true northern hospitality.
We can invite the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Board, some First Nation elders, some agriculture branch folks, a few educated consumers and of course a variety of farmers and our respective ‘experts’.
Hepworth, you represent the world’s biggest multinational corporations pushing agrochemicals and genetically modified crops to “feed the world” using “science.”
What has the Yukon done to deserve your attention? Oh yeah, we’re one of the last places in North America with no genetically modified crops. The Yukon and Prince Edward Island.
Thanks to our situation up here I have so far avoided the problem of my crops being contaminated by Monsanto’s seeds. This could soon change if genetically modified alfalfa is allowed on the market in Canada.
This alfalfa poses a direct threat to Yukon farmers, so we better start figuring this out now.
Come visit us and learn about what we do here before telling us off, please.
I invite you up here seeing as no one else is willing to.
Let’s have a discussion.
Tom Rudge
Whitehorse