THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016
VOL. 94 | NO. 25 | $4.25
SHARES IT’S AN EXOTIC LIFE | BREEDER LOVE FOR BIRDS P62
SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
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SHINED UP FOR CANADA’S FARM PROGRESS SHOW
The shine was on, including this truck bumper, at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina. The show attracted large crowds, and exhibitors said farmers were in an optimistic mood overall due to good crop progress across the Prairies and Great Plains region. A new football stadium dominated the outdoor displays at the farm show, which has more than 700 exhibitors and 1.9 million sq. feet of show space. FOR SHOW COVERAGE, SEE PAGES 4, 25 AND 27. | MICHAEL RAINE PHOTO
BIOTECH AND FOOD SECURITY CONFERENCE
European governments heavily influenced by environmental groups opposed to GM foods BY SEAN PRATT SASKATOON NEWSROOM
Europe isn’t about to change its stance on genetically modified crops any time soon or stop exerting its influence on developing nations, says a supporter of the technology. Stuart Smyth, industry funded research chair in agri-food innovation at the University of Saskatchewan’s agriculture college, said the European Parliament is heavily influenced by environmental groups opposed to the technology. “This is going to be a fight to the d e at h by t h e e nv i ro n m e nt a l groups. They will never concede a single benefit to biotechnology,” he told delegates attending the Emerging Technologies for Global Food Security Conference. “Last year, the anti-biotechnology movement spent over $10 billion globally fighting biotechnology.”
By comparison, the latest figures he had for total annual research and development spending by the six largest agricultural technology companies was $8.6 billion. Smyth said the European Union is showing no signs of changing its attitude toward GM crops. The G7 group of nations recently announced a joint initiative aimed at lifting 500 million people out of poverty by 2030. One of the tactics promoted by the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is for farmers in 10 African countries to start using GM crops and hybrid seed. “The European Parliament calls it a mistake, and they’re actually trying to encourage the G7 to move away from a commitment to GM crops,” said Smyth. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development recently issued an annual report that was highly critical of biotech-
nology. Most of its 60 authors were Europeans. The report concludes that the future of food security in developing countries is a return to organic, small-scale farming practices. Smyth said the European Union’s regulatory system is in a state of gridlock. Developers of GM crops are facing three to five year delays getting their new varieties through the approval system. Some traits have been languishing in the system for more than a decade. He said the regulatory delays are greatly reducing returns on investment for developers of GM crops. It costs an average of $136 million to commercialize a GM crop. And the situation is getting worse. Last year, the EU decided to shift GM crop approvals from the European Commission to the member states. “Immediately 19 of the 28 member states of the EU opted to ban
GM crops,” said Smyth. Environmental groups are also targeting new gene editing technologies such as CRISPR. Some argue it shouldn’t face the same regulatory scrutiny as GM crops because no new genes are being inserted in the plant. However, environmental groups have called on the EC to reject any attempt to exclude new technologies from EU regulation. Smyth said that will only further stifle innovation in the EU and elsewhere. Companies such as BASF have pulled their research spending out of the EU and transferred it to the United States. Less than 10 percent of global agricultural research and development money is spent in the EU, compared to one-third 20 years ago when GM crops were first commercialized. SEE TOUGH SELL, PAGE 5
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u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv#:; JUNE 23, 2016 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Stn. Main, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4 The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
Biotech a tough sell in Europe