Blogger Strikes a Nerve With the Top Gun in Canadian "Agri-Biz"

by Ted Menzies, President of CropLife Canada.

Ted Menzies, President of CropLife Canada. 
Inflammatory language such as that expressed in the article "Is agriculture’s toxic hold turning into a death grip?" creates a false impression that is both unfair to farmers and inaccurate. 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, which allows more food to be produced on the same amount of land. The plant science industry is committed to the responsible use of its products. Neonicotinoid seed treatments use a very small amount of pesticide and place it directly where it needs to be to protect the crop, thereby reducing the risk to non-target organisms, such as bees, and the environment. 

Pesticides, whether used on conventional or organic farms, undergo a rigorous scientific review and assessment by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency – this includes its persistence and impact on aquatic insects and birds. Pest control products are only approved for use once a scientific evaluation demonstrates no harm to human health, future generations or the environment.

Agriculture in Canada has never been more sustainable than it is today and part of the reason is the use of innovative products — like neonicotinoid seed treatments. Our industry welcomes questions about our products and looks forward to future opportunities to set the record straight about their safety and our deep commitment to working with all stakeholders to continue to ensure a sustainable future for agriculture.

Ted Menzies

President, CropLife Canada 

Comments

P in P said…
I'll be responding. Stay tuned!
John Fefchak said…
This is some of what the "Top Brass" Said.
"Pesticides, whether used on conventional or organic farms, undergo a rigorous scientific review and assessment by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency – this includes its persistence and impact on aquatic insects and birds. Pest control products are only approved for use once a scientific evaluation demonstrates no harm to human health, future generations or the environment."

How can that be, one might ask.?
Especially when Health Canada's PMRA (Pest Management Regulatory Agency) operates in a conflict of interest situation.
With no labs of its own it is forced to "rubber stamp" information provided by the industry, some of which may be withheld.
Seems to me, Mr.Menzies has been well indoctrinated into the system of repetition, but purposely ignoring the facts as they are and exist.





John Fefchak said…
The very real danger of Genetically Modified Foods.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/01/the-very-real-danger-of-genetically-modified-foods/251051/

I only have to think back to the times when science and our regulators were horribly wrong in their professional conclusions. Many people got sick, many people died,and many still suffer,until released by death.
Babies were born prematurely and deformed. Many died.
(re:The Justice Krever Inquiry into the Tainted Blood Scandal and the use of the drug…Thalidomide)
The conclusion and final awareness in all of this is..."the human body
was not designed to absorb poisons".
Pesticides and herbicides are Poison!. Period.

Furthermore; One of the very first duties of any government is to "Protect the Public".
And while Common Sense must always be considered as paramount;
unfortunately, it is a flower that doesn't grow in everyone's garden.
Anonymous said…
Farmer's DON'T grow GM crops or any other commodity crop because they like it; they grow it because of subsidies and insurance programs. There are no subsidies on vegetables but if there were, you can bet they would switch. CropLife is deluding their own minds by stating otherwise and they know it, but money is everything.

Popular posts from this blog

Conservative MP Absent From a Child Poverty Forum in Southwestern Manitoba.

A Candidate's Forum on Child Poverty Touches a Nerve in Manitoba.

The Bio of Larry Powell - publisher of this blog.