In 1960, I was a teaching assistant to the last UBC professor to teach organic agriculture. I taught the spring term of his course when he became ill. I wrote my graduating thesis in genetics on the cross breeding of livestock. We raised both purebred and crossbred cattle on our organic farm and crossed two types of apple to develop our own apple variety.
When the huge transnational seed companies started buying out local seed companies and destroying locally adapted seed stocks, we started growing and saving the seeds from locally adapted vegetable varieties to maintain genetic diversity and the ability to feed ourselves. We grew the crops on our farm and ranch organically.
However, we used antibiotics on our cattle.
In 1978, I received a rope burn on my left hand from roping steers. It swelled up with infection and blood poisoning, resulting in surgery on my index finger. But the blood poisoning continued up my left arm, proving five of the best available antibiotics used, had failed.
The sixth brought the infection under control. My doctors reasoned that the use of antibiotics on our livestock must have created a super-bug as an unintended consequence - a super-bug that I contracted. We have never used antibiotics since.
Today, feeding too much grain and over-using antibiotics in livestock results in outbreaks of e-coli poisoning. E-coli is caused by once harmless bacteria now becoming super-bugs.
The consequence of the "Green Revolution" that began 50 years ago is bigger food, but less nutritious. Tomatoes today have hard outer layers so they can be shipped 2,000 miles. They are high in starches that can lead to obesity.
This consequence is caused by monoculture growing on nutrient depleted soils that have been fed chemical fertilizers containing only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, instead of using crop rotations, manure and compost.
A demand from the public for pure unadulterated foods has led to a revival of organic agriculture.
However, genetic engineering (GE) is taking us in the opposite direction. Seeds produced by GE are owned by the same trans-national corporations that profit from chemicals and fertilizers used on GE crops.
The unintended consequence of Roundup on "Roundup ready" crops is creating "super-weeds" that Roundup and other poisons cannot kill.
If you cross two tomatoes, you get another tomato variety. If you cross a tomato with another species that kills bugs, such as Bt bacteria, you get a tomato that also kills bugs. What it does to human cells, we don't really know, but many scientists think the risk of unintended consequences is far too great. Earlier this year, scientists in France reported that some Bt toxins in plants can kill human cells.
Just as alarming is the possibility that these toxins are causing the decline of bee populations world wide. Without the bees to pollinate crops our food security is threatened. On May 12, Poland banned GE corn to protect bee populations.
Little wonder that organic farmers and gardeners are concerned that pollen from GE crops can blow across the fence to contaminate organic crops, and put them out of business.
In 2007, Chief Medical Health Officer John Blatherwick wanted the B.C. government to label genetically modified seeds and food, but nothing was done.
Richmond council was right to oppose increased growing of GE crops in Richmond. On May 28, it voted unanimously to oppose the cultivation of genetically engineered plants and trees in Richmond.
Harold Steves is a Richmond city councillor.
