Evidence of meeting #44 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was corn.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON
Corn retailers—whether it's Novartis or Corning or whoever's out with Pioneer, Pickseed, whatever it is—has anybody from the research labs from there come out to see any of the fields or the farms that have been affected to do any of their own research?
President, Munro Honey & Munro's Meadery
Bayer contacted some, but we were advised not to let them because all they want to do is try to find something else wrong with your bees.
We wanted to get an independent sampling of poisons from our government. That's why we were advised not to let them come onto our property and do the sampling.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
Thank you.
For clarification, you're talking about certification and what have you. You talked about guys spraying too closely and spray drifting over.
Bees leave your property, obviously, and if somebody's planting Roundup corn or Roundup soybeans or whatever someplace, how does that affect certification? Would that not affect it also?
Member, Saugeen Country Honey Inc.
As far as the bees, you mean? Our bees are not certified organic.
President, Munro Honey & Munro's Meadery
I have a comment on it. There's no organic in North America right now with all the Roundup Ready stuff. I don't think it's possible because the bees will fly five miles.
President, Munro Honey & Munro's Meadery
There might be an area in a bush somewhere that's isolated, but in most areas that are cropped, I don't think it's even possible.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Larry Miller
That was my point. I thought it was the same thing, regardless of whether you're spraying—
President, Munro Honey & Munro's Meadery
We have a hundred different locations that have bees. They're all on different farms. We're not against the farmers. We try to talk to them, and they try to work with us.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question is for Mr. Bryans.
These are serious allegations, whether they are about the companies themselves or the government's negligence.
Do you foresee any legal recourse against the companies for the loss of your bees? Have the manufacturers of these chemicals tested them at all? Have the products been tested to see whether they are likely to kill bees or other kinds of animals in nature?
President, Munro Honey & Munro's Meadery
They did do some testing. The only test I know that they did was in New Brunswick years ago. It was used on potatoes. The beekeepers in New Brunswick were having a lot of problems.
They hired a couple of researchers to do it, and they did a three-month study. Those bees were having trouble in New Brunswick. They couldn't overwinter the bees. It might have been Prince Edward Island; I'm not sure exactly.
In the other area, they couldn't overwinter the bees properly. They did the research, and it took them three months. They started in the spring and they finished in the fall. They started with new equipment. After the fall, they were done, but they never followed through for another year to see if there was an impact over winter on those bees.
I had an area that was growing potatoes, and I was getting losses. I knew this chemical was there. It was only one field. My only alternative was to move my bees away from that area, and I didn't go back. That's how I stayed away from it.
With corn, you can't do that. It's too much. There are too many acres. You move it here, and there's somebody else over there. There are no free areas.
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
I think I remember seeing an item about this on La semaine verte a while ago.
With canola, the coefficient of dependence of bees is said to be 18%. So bees contribute more than $1 billion in canola production alone. Does this mean that the economic benefits of all other products, especially fruits and vegetables, could be largely destroyed in Canada? Could we no longer have any apples, cucumbers or any other kinds of the fruits and vegetables we need to feed ourselves?
Why do they continue to coat these seeds if it causes problems for the entire honey industry? Who are we going to buy honey from if you cannot produce it any more?
That question goes to anyone.
Owner, Ferguson Apiaries
Well, we see that the canola is affected. There are benefits from pollination. Even soybeans benefit from pollination. The research from Guelph shows that it runs from 7% to 10%; even a 7% to 10% increase in your crop can be sizeable.
We still don't want to see this product going on.
Does that—
NDP
Francine Raynault NDP Joliette, QC
If the bees are dying because of this product, other animals can too. What is the impact on human health?
Owner, Ferguson Apiaries
I have a report here. I only printed one off because I just found it. It's from the EPA and it's 108 pages, which tells all the problems that are going on with other things. It affects warm-blooded animals. They did some studies on rabbits, and they have premature births. They have fewer lobes in their lungs, and it causes some other problems. To read 108 pages right away and digest it all.... I picked out just the things I could see.
But to look at what they've done, and they are showing how deadly it is with bees. If it pleases you, I can read a couple of paragraphs. Would that be fine?