Twenty GM Alfalfa "Demonstration Plots" to be Planted in Eastern Canada in 2015, "Co-existence" Plan Moving Full Speed Ahead

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Wisconsin-based Forage Genetics is moving full speed ahead with its "co-existence plan" for genetically modified (GM) alfalfa in Canada, despite the fact that co-existence with a feral, perennial crop like alfalfa is impossible.

Twenty "demonstration plots" of genetically modified alfalfa are scheduled to be planted in Eastern Canada during the 2015 growing season, and 12 of these plots were planted in 2014.

The media is releasing information designed to placate the public and GMO opponents under this false headline:

No Roundup Ready Alfalfa Production for 2015

In fact, Roundup Ready alfalfa will be produced in Canada in 2015, just as it was produced in 2014. GM alfalfa will not be released commercially this year, but Forage Genetics has plans to do so in the near future.

Stop GM Alfalfa in Canada and Worldwide 

Monsanto's Roundup Ready alfalfa has now become the first genetically modified (GM) perennial planted in Canadian history.

Twenty “demonstration plots” of genetically modified alfalfa are to be planted in Eastern Canada in spring 2015, and 12 of these plots were planted in 2014.  

Wisconsin-based Forage Genetics is also moving full speed ahead on a “co-existence plan” for GM alfalfa, which farmers and citizens know is impossible.  

Forage Genetics has plans for the wide-scale selling of Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) alfalfa seeds in Ontario and Quebec because GM alfalfa has already been rejected wholeheartedly by Western Canadian farmers and ranchers.

Monsanto's alfalfa strains have been genetically modified to withstand its glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup. Genes that are not naturally found in alfalfa have been implanted by scientists into the seeds so the plants will withstand major doses of the herbicide.

GM alfalfa was unconditionally approved amidst much controversy in the United States in 2011, and genetically modified alfalfa has been planted there for the past four seasons. It now accounts for 70% of the alfalfa crop in some states and has contaminated the natural crop. Lawsuits are ongoing.

A Call for an Immediate Moratorium on Genetically Modified Alfalfa in Canada

The introduction of genetically modified alfalfa has the ability to wipe out the entire foundation of organic/non-genetically modified agriculture. 

Alfalfa is a staple livestock feed. It is a crop often used during the three-year field transition from conventional to organic farming. Alfalfa is also essential in crop rotations as a nitrogen-fixer and natural fertilizer of the soil.

As alfalfa is embedded in the entire organic agriculture system, contamination by GM alfalfa would be devastating. Alfalfa is also used widely in non-GM agriculture.

As a staple livestock feed, alfalfa is made into bales of hay that are fed to animals. What we feed our animals, we end up eating ourselves if we eat meat or animal products. Contamination by GMOs would particularly affect organic/non-GM meat, dairy, eggs, and honey. Because GM alfalfa would have an effect on soil quality, however, vegetables, fruits, and grains could also be affected.

The first genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were released in the mid-1990s. GMOs have spread faster than anyone could have imagined, and due to the lack of labelling and segregation within the agricultural system, GM crops grown widely in Canada, especially soybeans, corn, and canola, have contaminated natural versions. If you are eating a non-organic product that contains a derivative of those three crops (soybeans, corn, or canola), you are almost guaranteed to be eating some genetically modified material. 

Already, there can be no guarantee that a food product labelled organic is completely free of genetically modified material. However, because the effort is made to keep organic crops separate from genetically modified crops, organic crops remain the best bet for non-GM food choices.

(Source: Manitoba organic inspector Priscilla Reimer)

Co-existence is Impossible

Currently, the plan touted by GM proponents is a “co-existence policy” where genetically modified alfalfa can be grown, harvested, and used alongside non-genetically modified alfalfa. This is the plan Forage Genetics is moving ahead on in Canada, despite widespread opposition. 

What organic and non-GM farmers know is that this co-existence is actually impossible, particularly with a feral perennial crop (grows back year-after-year) like alfalfa that cross-pollinates widely, including by wind and insects.

The first official case of alfalfa contamination by a genetically modified variety was reported by a farmer in Washington state in September 2013. The farmer’s natural alfalfa crop was rejected for export because, without his knowledge or intention, it was found to contain genetically modified material from Monsanto’s Roundup Ready GM alfalfa variety.

 

Exclusive: Washington state testing alfalfa for GMO contamination by Carey Gillam, Reuters, September 11, 2013

The Washington farmer complained to the United States Department of Agriculture, which responded with an “it’s not our problem” stance on the issue. The USDA claimed that the unintentional contamination of the natural alfalfa crop, as well as the resulting loss of markets and non-GM food security, were a “commercial issue” that must be dealt with in the marketplace.

 

USDA will not take action in case of GMO alfalfa contamination by Carey Gillam, Reuters, September 17, 2013 

Because many countries worldwide have banned genetically modified seeds, crops, and foods, including the European Union, any crop found to contain GM material will be rejected for export. 

In October 2014, for example, China slammed the door to U.S. hay imports after unintentional GM alfalfa contamination was found. 

 

China Rejects U.S. Hay Exports Due to Genetically Modified Alfalfa Contamination by Christina Sarich, October 3, 2014

PhD work done in Manitoba on the spread of genetically modified canola between 2004 and 2007 found unintentional GMO contamination as well as cross-breeding between GM strains. Escape populations of canola were studied - plants growing outside fields where they had not been planted - and widespread contamination by genetically modified organisms was found among them. 

The study found that the transportation and containment systems were most often the cause of the spread of the seeds (spilling from trucks, trains, and elevators), making the standard solution of "buffer fields" between GM and non-GM crops almost useless to stop contamination. Unless the growing, transportation, and containment of genetically modified seeds/crops is kept separate from non-genetically modified versions, contamination is inevitable. In particular, it would be impossible to contain a feral perennial plant like alfalfa to stop GM versions from contaminating the natural crop.

The same PhD work found something else the GMO companies had not intended: some of the GM canola plants studied had cross-pollinated with each other in the wild, forming a hybrid of Monsanto's Roundup Ready variety and Bayer's LibertyLink variety.

(Source: Alexis KnispelKanu)

Major GM and Glyphosate Safety Concerns Uncovered

An unprecedented animal feeding trial published in 2012 found that lab rats fed genetically modified corn as well as glyphosate residue - the primary ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide Roundup - developed high incidences of tumours, multiple organ damage, and premature death.

The results of the GM feeding trial were published September 19, 2012 in the scientific journal "Food and Chemical Toxicology." The peer-reviewed study was conducted by a team of scientists led by biologist and endocrinologist Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen in France.

Republished study: long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize

by Gilles-Eric Séralini, Emilie Clair, Robin Mesnage, Steeve Gress, Nicolas Defarge, Manuela Malatesta, Didier Hennequin, and Joël Spiroux de Vendômois

Link: https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-014-0014-5 

 

"Abstract

Background

The health effects of a Roundup-tolerant NK603 genetically modified (GM) maize(from 11% in the diet), cultivated with or without Roundup application and Roundupalone (from 0.1 ppb of the full pesticide containing glyphosate and adjuvants) indrinking water, were evaluated for 2 years in rats. This study constitutes afollow-up investigation of a 90-day feeding study conducted by Monsanto in orderto obtain commercial release of this GMO, employing the same rat strain andanalyzing biochemical parameters on the same number of animals per group as ourinvestigation. Our research represents the first chronic study on thesesubstances, in which all observations including tumors are reportedchronologically. Thus, it was not designed as a carcinogenicity study. We reportthe major findings with 34 organs observed and 56 parameters analyzed at 11 timepoints for most organs.

Results

Biochemical analyses confirmed very significant chronic kidney deficiencies, for all treatments and both sexes; 76% of the altered parameters were kidney-related.In treated males, liver congestions and necrosis were 2.5 to 5.5 times higher.Marked and severe nephropathies were also generally 1.3 to 2.3 times greater. In females, all treatment groups showed a two- to threefold increase in mortality,and deaths were earlier. This difference was also evident in three male groups fed with GM maize. All results were hormone- and sex-dependent, and the pathological profiles were comparable. Females developed large mammary tumors more frequently and before controls; the pituitary was the second most disabled organ; the sex hormonal balance was modified by consumption of GM maize and Roundup treatments.Males presented up to four times more large palpable tumors starting 600 days earlier than in the control group, in which only one tumor was noted. These results may be explained by not only the non-linear endocrine-disrupting effects of Roundup but also by the over expression of the EPSPS transgene or other mutational effects in the GM maize and their metabolic consequences.

Conclusion

Our findings imply that long-term (2 year) feeding trials need to be conducted to thoroughly evaluate the safety of GM foods and pesticides in their full commercial formulations."

The study was attacked vociferously as flawed by other scientists and biotechnology groups. Despite the uproar, the Food and Chemical Toxicology journal, a major journal on toxicology, refused to retract the study (until, that is, the journal hired ex-Monsanto scientist, Richard E. Goodman, on its editorial staff).

The trial studied the long-term effects of exposure to NK603 GM corn (Monsanto's Roundup Ready variety) and glyphosate - individually and combined - on the health of rats over two years.

The study found that even exposure to levels considered "safe" resulted in severe negative health effects in the animals:

- Of the rats fed GM corn or glyphosate residue, 50% of males and 70% of females died prematurely. This was compared to 30% and 20% respectively in the control group.
- Female rats developed fatal mammary tumours and pituitary disorders. Males developed liver damage, kidney and skin tumours and had problems with their digestive systems.
- Rats fed GM corn or Roundup residues developed two to three times more tumours than the control group.

The study found that ingestion of GM corn and glyphosate caused similar damage in the rats whether consumed separately or together. Even the lowest doses of GM corn and glyphosate, touted as safe by industry, were associated with severe health problems.

Previous studies have produced similar findings, but this was the first ever feeding trial done over the course of the entire lifespan of a laboratory rat - two years.

Despite the fact that lab rats live only two years, no genetically modified animal feeding trials have been done up to this point for longer than 90 days. Genetically modified seeds/foods have been rushed onto the market in Canada and the United States without any longer-term studies on potential effects. The majority of the tumours and devastating health effects that developed with the rats were detected after 18 months, which means that prior GM testing done over 90 days would not have discovered them. 

 

- In 2013, the results of a five-month feeding study done on just-weaned pigs were released in the "Organic Systems Journal." The study, conducted by lead researcher Judy Carman of Flinders University in Australia, found that a diet of genetically modified corn and soy produced severe stomach inflammation in the pigs, as well as enlargement of the uteruses in female pigs, indicating both digestive and reproductive damage from GM diets.  

A long-term toxicology study on pigs fed a combined genetically modified (GM) soy and GM maize diet

by Judy A. Carman, Howard R. Vlieger, Larry J. Ver Steeg, Verlyn E. Sneller, Garth W. Robinson, Catherine A. Clinch-Jones, Julie I. Haynes, and John W. Edwards 

Link: http://www.organic-systems.org/journal/81/abstracts/8106.html 

 

"Abstract

A significant number of genetically modified (GM) crops have been approved to enter human food and animal feed since 1996, including crops containing several GM genes 'stacked' into the one plant. We randomised and fed isowean pigs (N=168) either a mixed GM soy and GM corn (maize) diet (N=84) or an equivalent non-GM diet (N=84) in a longterm toxicology study of 22.7 weeks (the normal lifespan of a commercial pig from weaning to slaughter). Equal numbers of male and female pigs were present in each group. The GM corn contained double and triple-stacked varieties. Feed intake, weight gain, mortality and blood biochemistry were measured. Organ weights and pathology were determined post-mortem. There were no differences between pigs fed the GM and non-GM diets for feed intake, weight gain, mortality, and routine blood biochemistry measurements. The GM diet was associated with gastric and uterine differences in pigs. GM-fed pigs had uteri that were 25% heavier than non-GM fed pigs (p=0.025). GM-fed pigs had a higher rate of severe stomach inflammation with a rate of 32% of GM-fed pigs compared to 12% of non-GM-fed pigs (p=0.004). The severe stomach inflammation was worse in GM-fed males compared to non-GM fed males by a factor of 4.0 (p=0.041), and GM-fed females compared to non-GM fed females by a factor of 2.2 (p=0.034)."

Carman said that pigs were used in the feeding study because their digestive systems are similar to those of human beings. 

Carman is calling for further long-term animal feeding studies on GM foods before they continue to be commercially planted and ingested by humans.

 

- Also in 2013, the results of a study on glyphosate excretion in the urine of Danish dairy cattle were released. The study, led by Dr. Monika Krueger, looked at 240 dairy cattle from eight different dairy farms in Denmark. It found that glyphosate was being excreted in varying amounts by all the cattle. Blood tests showed toxicity, with a particular effect on liver and muscle cells. The conclusion of this study was that glyphosate is toxic to the metabolism of dairy cattle.

 

Field Investigations of Glyphosate in Urine of Danish Dairy Cows

by Monika Krueger, Wieland Schrodl, Jurgen Neuhaus, and Awad A. Shehata

Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259042336_Field_Investigations_of_Glyphosate_in_Urine_of_Danish_Dairy_Cows 

"Abstract

In the present study, thirty dairy cows from each of eight Danish dairy farms were investigated for excretion of glyphosate in urine. Blood serum parameters indicative of cytotoxicity as alkaline phosphatase (AP), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), creatinine kinase CK), nephrotoxicity, (urea, creatine), cholesterol and the trace elements as manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were investigated. All cows excreted glyphosate in their urine but in varying concentrations. Increased levels of GLDH, GOT and CK in cows from all farms demonstrate a possible effect of glyphosate on liver and muscle cells. High urea levels in some farms could be due to nephrotoxicity of glyphosate. Also the unexpected very low levels of Mn and Co were observed in all animals which could be explained due to a strong mineral chelating effect of glyphosate. In contrast the mean levels of Cu, Zn and Se were within the normal reference range. In conclusion, this study gives the first documentation to which extent Danish dairy cattle are exposed to Glyphosate and its impact on blood parameters."

- In 2015, Italian scientists found that a diet of GM soybeans caused DNA changes in the milk of mother goats, specifically decreasing immunoglobulin substances which could affect the immune systems of the offspring. Baby goats who fed from the mothers on GM soybean diets were also found to have significantly lower weights. 

 

Genetically modified soybean in a goat diet: Influence on kid performance

by R. Tudisco, S. Calabro, M.I. Cutrignelli, G. Moniello, M. Grossi, V. Mastellone, P. Lombardi, M.E. Pero, F. Infascelli

Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921448815000528 

"Abstract

The in vivo and post mortem performance and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in kids born from goats fed conventional (group C) or genetically modified (group T) soybean meal were evaluated. The goat colostrum quality, in terms of chemical composition, as well as immunoglobulin concentration, and the presence of feed DNA fragments were also investigated. Kid birth weights were similar, while significantly (P < 0.05) higher in those born from goats in group C at day 30 and at slaughtering. In addition, kids from mothers fed conventional soybean recorded significant (P < 0.05) higher height at the withers and chest width. Concerning the post mortem measurements, only carcass weights were significantly affected by the treatment resulting in lighter T kids (P < 0.05). Colostrum from the treated groups recorded a significantly (P < 0.01) lower percentage of protein and fat. Similarly, both chemical parameters significantly differed in milk collected 15 days after kidding, although these differences disappeared in the successive samplings. Both colostrum and kids serum IgG concentration were significantly (P < 0.01) lower in the treated groups. Transgenic target DNA sequences (35S and CP4 EPSPS) were not detected in colostrum from goats that received a diet containing conventional soybean meal. By contrast, transgenic DNA fragments were amplified (P < 0.05) in samples from goats that received the transgenic soybean."

 

- A 2005 study on rats, led by neuroscientist Irina Ermakova, showed lower birth weights and premature death in the rats fed GM diets as compared to the control group.

GM soybeans and health safety—a controversy reexamined

study by Irina Ermakova, et al.

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt0907-981

Link to article on the subject: Ermakova study on rats and GM soya

"Neuroscientist Irina Ermakova of the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow made news headlines two years ago when she reported that rats fed diets containing glyphosate-tolerant genetically modified (GM) soybeans gave birth to pups with low survival rates or stunted growth...

Supplementation of the diet of the females with GM soya led to the death of 25 pups, out of the 45 born by the end of the third week of lactation, while during the same period on the traditional soya supplemented diets only 3 pups died from 33. The mortality in the positive control group was also 3, but from the larger number of pups born, as it seen in Table 1.

High pup mortality was generally characteristic for females fed the GM soya flour."

Roundup is currently the world's most popular and widely-used herbicide. Its global usage is set to double by 2017, according to Global Industry Analysts of San Jose, California.

 

The Battle As it Stands 

 

The sale and growth of genetically modified alfalfa was initially stopped by a lawsuit in the United States in 2007, but that lawsuit was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010. A compromise that would have limited the growth of GM alfalfa, potentially protecting organic and non-GM farmers, was scrapped by the U.S. Department of Agriculture when it announced approval of unrestricted commercial cultivation on January 27, 2011.

This decision is highly opposed by organic farmers, who stand to lose the most money (and their entire livelihoods) from contamination by genetically modified alfalfa or even the belief that their products are contaminated. It is also opposed by many non-GM farmers and by all who wish to eat GMO-free food.

Genetically modified alfalfa was approved under Tom Vilsack as Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Vilsack is the ex-Governor of Iowa, a corn belt state. Genetically modified corn is big business in Iowa. As might be expected, Vilsack is a major supporter of Monsanto and their genetically modified seed varieties. Vilsack was even named Governor of the Year by the Biotechnology Industry Organization in 2001.

In March 2011, a motion on the moratorium on the planting and growing of genetically modified alfalfa in Canada was tabled in Canadian Parliament by Liberal members of the House of Commons Agriculture Committee.

That motion was left unaddressed as pro-GM Stephen Harper dissolved Parliament ahead of the federal election in May 2011.

Wisconsin-based Forage Genetics International is now selling the seeds for "demonstration plots" of GM alfalfa being grown in Ontario and Quebec. It is also moving full speed ahead with its "co-existence plan," which would pave the way for the the wide-scale commercial sale and growth of GM alfalfa in Canada.

Ontario and Quebec have been chosen as the introduction points for genetically modified alfalfa because farmers in Western Canada have already rejected GM alfalfa.

National Farmers Union protests against GM alfalfa are ongoing in Canada.

On April 9, 2013, protests were held outside MP offices across the country opposing the commercial sale and growth of GM alfalfa in Canada.

Forage Seed Canada, an umbrella group representing provincial forage seed associations, is seeking allies to help block Roundup Ready alfalfa from commercial Canadian production. 

A Moratorium on GM Alfalfa in Canada

We, as concerned citizens, are calling on our elected officials to do the responsible thing with untested, unproven GM alfalfa. We are calling for an immediate moratorium on the sale, planting, and growth of genetically modified alfalfa in Canada. We are asking for its sale and growth to be blocked in Ontario and Quebec, as well as in the rest of Canada. 

We are also calling for additional long-term animal feeding trials to be conducted on genetically modified alfalfa and glyphosate exposure by independent scientific bodies unaffiliated with and unfunded by GM corporations such as Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, BASF, Dow, and DuPont.



From April 19, 2019: Uranus in Taurus, Bankrupting Bayer-Monsanto, and Unexpected Economic Justice for Corporate Violence

From February 3, 2018: Stop Bayer-Monsanto's Crimes Against Humanity, Animals, and the Environment!

From April 13, 2017: Pluto Stationing Retrograde in Capricorn: From Millions Against Monsanto to Billions Against Bayer

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