To: Ontario Pork
CC: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs, Dr. Cecil W.Forsberg and Dr. John P. Phillips
of the University of Guelph, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, Canadian Council for Animal Care, Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada,
Alexa McDonough
Dear Ontario Pork,
Recently it has come to my attention that through
funding by Ontario Pork and other sources, including
several government agencies, scientists at the
University of Guelph have produced the genetically
engineered Enviropig TM. While the Enviropig has
proved to be in some respects more ?environmentally
friendly? than normal pigs by producing between 60 and
75% less-polluting fecal phosphorous, you cannot
ignore its detrimental effects -both known and
unknown- on the environment, humans and the
transgenic animals themselves.
Bioengineering of transgenic animals, I realize, must
adhere to standards put in place by the Canadian
Council for Animal Care (CCAC). I have some problems
with this. The CCAC is composed of members who have
similar vested interests in profiting from the animals
they use. These same groups are responsible for
writing the guidelines for these animals? welfare.
This does not allow for objective standards, even with
the membership of the Canadian Federation of Humane
Societies.
I find it contradictory that a council composed of
groups such as medical, dental and pharmacy schools,
psychology departments, Department of National
Defence, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, The Heart
and Stroke Foundation and the National Cancer
Institute of Canada, who exploit animals for their own
gain could possibly seek the ?Replacement, Reduction
and Refinement of animal uses wherever possible.? How
can a council, with another of its mandates being
concerned with the ?optimal physical and psychological
care? of animals, accept and justify the Enviropig?s experiments
falling under ?Category D of Invasiveness in Animal
Experiments? where they could ?cause moderate to
severe distress or discomfort? to the animal.
And for what?
Canadian pork producers raising the Enviropig would
be able to save $1.14 per pig in feed cost and be able
to raise more pigs in factory farms under more
deplorable conditions. The Sierra Club and other
environmental groups see your solution to the
pork-industry?s pollution problem as a temporary one,
causing more potential harm than good. As you well
know, better solutions would be to employ sustainable
farming practices, raise pigs in large open pens, use the
newly-developed low-phosphorous corn as feed(65 per
cent less phytate),supplement the pigs? diet with
phytase(decreases phosphorous 56 per cent) or lastly
and least-favourably to mix limestone with existing
high-phosphorous-containing pig feces.
Claire Schlegel, chair of Ontario Pork cites the
Enviropig as ?one technology to show that we do care.?
To show that Ontario Pork cares about what? Saving
$1.14 per pig? It does not seem that Ontario Pork
cares about anything besides increased profit. The
Enviropig will cut down on phosphorous emissions but
these reductions are necessary according to federal
standards. Cramming more pigs into stalls thereby
furthering their suffering on Canadian factory farms
will be possible with the Enviropig. This will help
save the suffering Canadian Pork Industry? It is
obvious that you do not care about causing the ?moderate
to severe distress or discomfort? necessary to create
these economical and seemingly
environmentally-friendly pigs.
Something else your company obviously does not care
about is the unknown environmental effects of
genetically modified organisms such as
detrimental effects on biodiversity, the disturbance
of nature?s boundaries and the unknown effect of the
transgenic animal on its natural environment.
Also, your disregard for the animals? rights and
welfare is obvious. What about the unknown effects of
breeding transgenic animals with normal animals?
Additional physical and psychological stresses could
be potentially posed to the pigs with an altered
genotype. Because of the creation of a new
species with an altered genotype (and by using
bacteria like E.coli and mouse DNA in the
process), you are creating the possibility of
incorrigible genetic defects that will inevitably be
passed down through generations as well as the
potential creation of new infectious diseases. As in
other transgenic species such as cows genetically
engineered to produce more milk and chickens to
produce more eggs, there will be a probable increased
rate of birth defects and decreased life spans.
Next, the Enviropig?s introduction to the
marketplace will violate human rights and lead to
known and as yet unknown effects on
human safety. Humans have the right to know what they
are eating- and although this is an entirely separate
issue- you will not be forced to label GE pork thus
pork consumers will not be alerted to the fact that
they are eating GE meat with unknown effects.
Genetically altered foods have been known to cause
adverse effects such as severe allergic reactions and even
death, as in the case of GE tryptophan killing 37
people and disabling 1500 more in 1994. The creation
of a new altered-genotype species produces myriad and
unpredictable possibilities for new toxins and
allergens for both the environment and humans. One
Scottish scientist noticed abnormalities in rats fed
GMO potatoes. Considering 25 per cent of people have
adverse reactions to foods, why would you want to
contribute to this number? Pork is already a common
allergen!
Since you plan to ?test like no animals
have been tested before? (according to Dr. John
Phillips), you will attempt to discover the answers to
the unknown questions, albeit in an unethical way. But
how will you test the animals to ensure that they will
be suitable for human consumption?
Guelph microbiologist Cecil Forsberg claims that
technology in this area is moving ?faster than a slim
government agency can move,? and it is unclear how
adequate testing will be done to determine the safety
of the Enviropig as food. Currently, testing policies
are in place only for plants as GM foods, but plants
are less complex than animals. The nature of the GE
pig?s altered genotype will make it difficult to
predict effects on human immune systems. As rodents?
immune systems are too dissimilar to that of humans?,
they will be unsuitable for use as conclusive evidence
of altered reactivity.
Hugh Lehman, a highly-esteemed Guelph philosophy
professor calls your project ?Very risky. Very small
chemical differences can have profound implications.
If it?s anything people are going to eat, there should
be extensive and rigorous testing.? Lehman also
believes that much of our current food supply could be
contaminated by GMO crops.
I realize there is nothing that can be done to stop
the Enviropig from being ?born,? that the idea of the
Enviropig TM has already been brought into fruition
and over 100 pigs over three generations have been
brought forth since the first three pigs: Wayne,
Gordie and Jacques. I recommend though, that you
utilize the better, more holistic and natural methods
of reducing phosphorous emissions from pig farms which
do not risk the health, rights and welfare of the
environment, humans and the animals.
I acknowledge the economic stakes at risk for you at
this point, both in your losses in the pork industry
and your funds used thus far in the production of the
Enviropigs. You can though, be a leader in your area
and say no to genetically modified organisms. Finally,
you can stop breeding these genetically-altered pigs
and allow them to live out their lives free of poking,
prodding and testing and allow pigs to be pigs, as
they were meant to be.
Yours sincerely,
check out the official website enviropig
