Re: GMO labelling supported, Salmon Arm Observer, Sept. 17.
It is disconcerting to read a recent article in the Salmon Arm Observer as it contained much misinformation about genetically modified (GM) crops. British Columbians deserve to have the information they need to make decisions based on sound scientific evidence.
Not only are GM crops safe, they also provide numerous benefits to consumers, farmers, and the environment, despite what this article suggests.
GM crops are subject to Canada’s strict regulatory standards, which ensure that we have access to one of the safest food supplies in the world. Extensive safety reviews are completed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Health Canada to ensure all products of plant biotechnology are safe for people, animals, plants and the environment.
Canadian farmers overwhelmingly choose to grow genetically improved varieties of corn, canola, soybeans and other crops due to the numerous benefits they offer such as increased yields, improved pest control and environmental sustainability.
The reality is that humans have been altering the DNA of crops for hundreds of years using plant breeding methods to move genes from one species to another. Modern genetic modification has made it possible to safely speed up the process, and do it more precisely.
Readers should know that trillions of meals containing ingredients from GM crops have been consumed without a single substantiated case of any adverse health impacts.
Ted Menzies, president and CEO of CropLife Canada