NDP challenges Conservatives to support agriculture bill

OTTAWA – On the heels of last night’s special parliamentary debate, New Democrat Agriculture Critic Alex Atamanenko is challenging the Harper government to stop taking his policy from Biotech industry lobbyists and support his Bill C-474 in the final House of Commons vote tonight.

“I was disappointed that so few MP’s other than New Democrats, were willing to go on record one way or another during the 6 hours of debate available to them in last night’s debate,” said Atamanenko. “This bill forces the biotech industry to make a business case and let’s farmer’s know the risks associated with these experimental GMO seeds.”

Atamanenko’s bill would require that the government conduct an analysis of potential harm to export markets prior to permitting the sale of new genetically engineered seeds in Canada. “I’m tired of seeing farmers facing government-supported biotech bullying around the introduction of new GE seeds that poses a potential threat to their business,” said Atamanenko.

“Thousands of farmers have told my office they need the protection offered by C-474 as a bulwark against multinational corporations such as Monsanto,” says Atamanenko. “It will be a sad day indeed if Parliament passes up a chance to finally put Canadian farmers on an equal footing with the powerful gene giants.”

Atamanenko says that it is conventional plant breeding methods and other technologies that are solving a whole host of plant problems that GE hasn’t even come close to fixing.

“I would rather pin the hopes of the world on plant breeding techniques that are producing real results than on a potential future of GE crops driven by Monsanto,” concluded Atamanenko. “I only hope that the majority of parliamentarians will feel the same during the vote tonight.”