Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, and thank you for your presentations.
Mr. Zettel, in your remarks, you mentioned studies showing that pesticide use on corn and soybeans has continued to increase. But the argument we often hear from companies producing genetically modified organisms is that they will use fewer chemicals on the crops. Could you please send those studies to the clerk? The members of the committee may benefit from that information before we prepare our report.
You also mentioned buffer zones. At our last meeting, we heard from an organic grain and dairy producer from Manitoba. And I am going on his testimony here. He told us that in the case of alfalfa, he had contacted the Monsanto company to inquire about its policy on the use of buffer zones. According to this producer, Larry Black, Monsanto intended to recommend a 0.8-kilometre separation between the GMO alfalfa and other alfalfa crops in order to prevent cross-pollination. He said Monsanto told him that organic consumers would have to accept a small level of GMO contamination.
My question is this. In the case of canola, I know there has been contamination. I know there has been contamination in other crops in the United States—rapeseed, if I am not mistaken. And we are hearing that may also happen with alfalfa. The Bloc Québécois is also calling for buffer zones. Some argue this may be enough to prevent the contamination of non-GMO crops and organic crops, but is that true? Can we be certain that no cross-contamination will occur?