Today the Agriculture Committee met to debate on a motion concerning Biotechnology and specifically the use of GM alfalfa. Both ‘sides’, five MPs on the Conservative side and six on the opposition side - three Liberals, two Bloc Q. – one being the only woman sitting on the committee - and one NDP, listened with more or less attention as both sides accused the other of ‘playing games’ It was, to say the least, quite pathetic. After three years of trying to bring this important matter before Parliament, it appeared as if the five Conservatives were there to waste the entire morning in useless arguments. By 1:00 pm nothing had been concluded.
The Women’s Alliance Party takes the question of GMO and labelling our foods very seriously. This is because women are concerned with health, theirs, their families and our communities.
Leave aside that perhaps many of us simply oppose GMO because GMO foods or GMO animal foods have drastically contributed to the loss of texture, taste and ‘goodness’ of wholesome food that we grew up with, why on earth would anyone oppose labelling? What, in other words, is the big deal, if it is harmless, as Mr. Ignatieff says? Are we not entitled as consumers to know what we serve on our tables and what we put in our bodies and feed our children?
Many of us have gone organic, in as far as our food allowances allow. Many in our community have become vegetarians. Not because they are offended by the inhumane way we feed, fatten, and destroy living creatures to put their parts on our table, but because the meat actually tastes awful. In other words you might as well be eating cardboard. When you realize that, besides the antibiotics (due to unnatural crowded and cramped conditions of the animals) and female hormones (to make them grow much faster and fatter and so be more profitable), now agri-industries have introduced injecting beef meat with ammonia and other chemicals2, for example, with ‘beef tasting’ aromas. 
Canadian labelling laws still need to be improved to protect the consumer from deceitful practices that ultimately have negative impacts on our health, such as increasing allergies and other forms of harmful reactions. Strict labelling laws would never allow such harmful foods to go unchecked.
The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network informs us that we can write to Mr. Ignatieff asking for consumer choice: You can send your letter to Hon. Michael Ignatieff, 
Leader of the Official Opposition Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.caand cc to Hon. Wayne Easter, Liberal Agriculture Critic Easter.W@parl.gc.ca
2 http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2010/01/02/injecting-beef-with-ammonia-safety-of-beef-processing-method-is-questioned/
4 http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1970471,00.html
For a list of 17 seed companies that provide GMO seeds, click on this URL:
http://www.biosciregister.com/Genetically_Modified_Seeds/Suppliers/pid7496.htm
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