GMO opponents protest Monsanto at The Forks
The protest comes days after the first GMO food animal was approved for sale in Canada
Dozens of people gathered at The Forks in Winnipeg on Saturday to protest genetically modified organisms (GMO) and agricultural business giant, Monsanto.
The protest comes days after a report that found GMOs are safe to eat. The first GMO animal — salmon — was also approved for sale in Canada this week.
According to Josh Sigurdson, who helped organize Saturday's rally, the salmon's approval is not only a step in the wrong direction, but one he says could lead to the devastating consequences he says are already underway thanks to Monsanto.
"My big concern is that they spray these crops with glyphosate and glyphosate is a known neurotoxin and that gets into the food," he said.
"Just like water, the plants drink up the glyphosate and then we end up eating this and it's dangerous to our health."
On Saturday, it was all about getting the message out loud and clear, Sigurdson said.
"People have to know what's in their food and we want to get that awareness out to everyone here at The Forks today so that they can go home [and] make an informed decision on what they buy, what they feed their children," he said.
"We are just here to provide our side of the story but our side of the story is backed up by sound science."
Monsanto 'proud' of work on GMOs
Charla Lord, a corporate engagement representative with Monsanto, said the company understands their products and practices aren't favoured by everyone, but added that doesn't negate how much the organization's work has benefited farmers and consumers alike.
"The 22,000 people of Monsanto are committed to having an open dialogue about food and agriculture — we're proud of the work we do, and we're eager for people to know more about us. We're also proud of our collaboration with farmers and partnering organizations that help make a more balanced meal accessible for everyone. Our goal is to help farmers do this in a more sustainable way using fewer resources and having a smaller impact on the environment."
"Why is Health Canada not coming forward with the safety studies?" Stevens said.
"I want to make people aware of the fact that they're being poisoned daily, slowly. They're being poisoned with these chemicals and GMOs and they need to speak out or they will all end up being sick."
In a 408-page report released Tuesday by The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, the science advisory board concluded GMOs are safe and healthy to eat, despite what some opponents say.
"The committee concluded that no differences have been found that implicate a higher risk to human health safety from these [GMO] foods than from their non-[GMO]ounterparts," the report states.
Concern over salmon deemed safe
Even for some who were not involved in Saturday's rally — or any movement to protest GMO at all — the news regarding GMO salmon sales in Canada is concerning.
Deborah Schweyer was grocery shopping on Saturday at the time of the protest. While she said she is not ready to purchase GMO food, she believes if it's not labelled as such she has no choice.
"[If it's not labelled] that's a problem. It's important for people to know what they're buying, to know where it comes from, how it's created, how it's processed if it's being processed. It's important for consumers to have some choice," she said.
"I'm not prepared to buy it specifically. If I don't know the difference then I guess there's not much I can do about it."
With files from the Associated Press