Syngenta Canada warns of damage from anti-GM crops bill

The head of Syngenta's Canadian division warned of ''enormous consequences" to Canada's trading reputation if Ottawa passes a bill curbing genetically modified (GM) crops.

The legislation, currently before the House of Commons, would require Ottawa to analyse the possible harm to export markets prior to approving any new genetically modified (GMO) seeds.

"The resulting consequences of passing Bill C-474 could be enormous to the Canadian agricultural industry and to Canada's reputation as a science-based trading nation," Jay Bradshaw, president of Syngenta Canada said.

Swiss-based Syngenta is the world's largest agro-chemicals company, making weed and insect-killing products as well as developing GM seeds. "This bill would result in denying Canadian farmers access to new technologies," Bradshaw said.

Currently, Canadian regulation of new seeds is rigorous and based on science, he said.

Pesticides and new crop varieties are critical to producing enough food for a growing world population, Bradshaw said. Canada, with the second-largest arable land base per capita and large quantities of fresh water, is critical to expanding crop production, he said.

Canada is the world's top exporter of spring wheat and durum, used in baking and pasta respectively. It is also the No. 1 exporter of canola, a modified version of rapeseed, which is crushed to produce edible oil.

Bradshaw's concerns echo criticism of the bill by groups such as the Canola Council of Canada and Grain Growers of Canada. They say taking such a stand on GM crops would leave Canadian farmers lagging global rivals and jeopardise exports of existing GM crops.

Other groups, such as the National Farmers Union, strongly support the bill. They point to the drop-off in flax shipments to the EU since last summer, when trace amounts of GM materials were found, as proof of potential damage.