Alfalfa is an important bee forage plant in North America. Ranchers in my area maintain a stand of alfalfa for five years before reseeding.  They spray the crop with roundup before reseeding with oats or barely, followed with alfalfa again.

Dandelions very quickly become re-established in a field that has been sprayed with roundup in this area. Some ranchers have tried no-till seeding and even then, dandelions quickly re-establish. I’ve noticed roundup causes soil to become very loose and easily tilled. My theory is that roundup helps creates a good seedbed, making it easier for weeds to become re-established.

In Canada, Forage Genetics International (FGI) can now legally sell GE alfalfa seed. GE alfalfa has two new traits: it is resistant to roundup, and it has lower lignin content. Due to public opposition from alfalfa seed producers and forage exporters (whose customers are GMO-intolerant), it is not yet being offered for sale in Western Canada.

The sales pitch for GE alfalfa is that farmers will be able to knock weeds down with roundup both spring and fall. This seems to be at least one case where a GE plant will cause increased harm to the environment.

The GMO industry has successfully lobbied the Canadian government to use a very narrow set of criteria when reviewing the safety of a new GE product. No consideration is given to how the product will impact other sectors of agriculture or negatively affect our environment, (roundup has been deemed safe, so the unlimited use of roundup is safe).

I understand the great potential genetically engineered plants have to improve agriculture. But I don’t think we will realize that potential by using corporate profit as the main criteria when approving new GE products. And I think it is fair to say that that this is currently the case. 

Down the road, there is hope in some quarters that plants may be used to produce pharmaceuticals. For example alfalfa might be engineered to produce a vaccine for cattle. How engineered can our environment become before honey loses it’s reputation as a “natural” product? We can try and educate the public that there is next to no GMOs in nectar. But as this discussion shows, people believe what they want to believe. Because of this, I think we’d best keep one foot on the bandwagon and one foot dragging along the ground in an attempt to slow this wagon down. Ted

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