I was dismayed by Genesee Keevil’s article Agricultural Board Buries Its Head in the Dirt’ (The News, April 15).
The alleged lack of caring of the Yukon Agricultural Association for the potential deleterious impact of genetically engineered crops on our organic farmers and our environment showed a complete disregard for the purpose and good work of the association on behalf of Yukon’s agricultural industry and farmers in general, organic and non organic alike.
Even the title itself was disrespectful and belied a prejudicial attitude towards the Yukon Agricultural Association and its board of directors.
If your journalistic objective was to dispassionately examine the GE issue and fairly inform your readers, that article was way off the mark. When your paper stoops to grotesque extrapolations of the comments and opinions you solicit to support your own bias, you do a disservice not only to the subject at hand and the people and organizations you so carelessly deride, but also a disservice to the community as a whole.
As for the specific issue of genetically engineered crops, Keevil’s April 15 article and your own follow-up editorial (April 20 edition) would seem to indicate that you are very much against the development and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Strangely though, you did not step up to the plate and offer to use the Yukon News to lead a territory-wide education effort on GMOs, plus lead a campaign to ban the import of GE seeds and the growing of GE plants in the Yukon. Perhaps the issue is not sensationalist enough for you É or is your failure to put your paper where your mouth is really just plain cowardice?
A little introspection into your motives and methods might serve you, and indeed, all of your readers well.
Rick Tone, executive director
Yukon Agricultural Association