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The Leader-Post
Most farmers say no to growing GM wheat by Jason Warick Nearly 90 per cent of farmers say they would not grow genetically modified (GM) wheat if they had the option, according to a survey conducted earlier this year. A long list of organizations from the Canadian Wheat Board to the Canadian Health Coalition have already spoken out against GM wheat, but this is the first survey taken to gauge the opinions of farmers. "The reaction was very strong," said Stephane McLachlan, a professor in the faculty of environment at University of Manitoba. "Farmers are really against this. They are categorically opposed to the release of GM wheat." McLachlan supervises the work of doctoral student Ian Mauro, who surveyed more than 400 farmers from all regions of Manitoba this spring. Eighty-seven per cent of respondents said they were opposed to growing GM wheat. A large majority of these farmers said they were "strongly opposed" to the idea, said Mauro. The remaining 13 per cent were split between those who did want to grow GM wheat and those who were undecided. "There is a very small group that thinks this crop would be good to grow now," said Mauro. "But all it takes is a small minority to introduce GM wheat into the system." Agriculture corporation Monsanto Canada has applied to federal regulators for permission to sell its GM wheat. The variety is resistant to Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, and may improve yields. The organic-food industry fears GM wheat will contaminate their fields and make it impossible to grow organic wheat. Saskatchewan's organic-canola industry disappeared after the introduction of GM canola several years ago. The wheat board, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, and other farm and rural groups have taken out large newspaper ads urging Monsanto to withdraw its federal GM wheat application. They worry that mere federal approval could be enough for anti-GM markets such as Europe and Japan to close their borders to all Canadian wheat. "It's definitely a concern. (GM wheat) could definitely hurt us," said Tim Johnson, who farms with his father and two brothers 300 kilometres east of Saskatoon at Hyas. "If the world accepts it, fine. If they don't, let's forget it." Monsanto has refused to withdraw its application. Company president Peter Turner assures farmers that Monsanto will not sell any GM wheat until Europe and Japan are willing to accept it. Monsanto will also hold off until there is an effective system to segregate GM wheat from other kinds, he said in an interview. "There appears to be some fearmongering (but) they have nothing to fear," Turner said. "We're not going to get this registered and just steamroll it into the market." The biggest reason farmers so strongly oppose the introduction of GM wheat is economic, McLachlan said. "They're worried about their markets," he said. When offered the hypothetical situation of markets not reacting negatively, survey results were more even. But a majority would still oppose growing GM wheat, he said. Most farmers, in contrast, gave positive responses when asked about GM canola in U of M's earlier survey, McLachlan said. This shows that even pro-GM farmers fear the consequences of GM wheat, he said. McLachlan said farmers "have really been left out of the loop" in the debate. McLachlan and Mauro plan to take more farmer surveys and conduct interviews across the Prairies on GM wheat this fall. |