National Farmers Union-Ontario plan to lead province-wide GM alfalfa protest

Apr 08, 2013

NFU-Ontario to rally farm members to stop the release of GM alfalfa

Some farmers who belong to one of the three general farm organizations in the province, National Farmers Union – Ontario (NFU) are rallying its farm membership base, to try and stop the release of genetically modified (GM) alfalfa.

The farm group has planned 13 protests across the province at different Member of Provincial Parliament (MP) offices and another 12 that are scheduled to take place in other parts of Canada on Tuesday, April 9th from 12noon to 1pm.

NFO-Ontario is calling it a “day of action” calling on farmers and concerned consumers to visit or contact their local MP constituency offices or to send letters to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Gerry Ritz.

Forage Genetics International has applied Monsanto’s genetically modified Roundup Ready technology to alfalfa. While Canadian regulatory authorities approved GM alfalfa for health and environmental release in 2005, there is one more step that allows for commercial release in Canada - variety registration from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The final step could be completed as early as this spring.

Video: Seaweed-Based Solutions: Building Natural Performance in Modern Swine Production

In today’s pork industry, producers are under increasing pressure to do more with fewer inputs—while maintaining performance, improving animal health, and meeting sustainability expectations.

we sit down with Sylvain David and Scott Preston from Olmix to explore how seaweed-based solutions are emerging as a foundational tool in modern swine nutrition.

Rather than acting as simple alternatives, these solutions are designed to support gut health, immune resilience, and overall system consistency—especially during key stress periods like weaning, feed transitions, and disease challenges.

The conversation dives into:

• What seaweed-based solutions actually are and how they work

• Why consistency and standardization matter in “natural” products

• How gut health connects to immune function and performance

• Where producers are seeing real-world impact today

• The role of natural solutions in the future of sustainable pork production