Canada Permits Gene Editing In Seeds Without Disclosure

Organic Sector Let Down By Decision

Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said they will let new GE seeds in Canada without checking if they are safe or healthy. People don't have to tell others if they use these seeds. This is bad for people who only want organic food that has no genetic engineering. They are in danger because of this decision.

Organic sector in Canada is unhappy about updating guidance related to Seeds Regulations. It does not require reporting all gene edited seeds. The transparency and traceability is necessary for organic businesses and consumers, so they want mandatory disclosure. The sector has told the government this consistently.

Global organic trade is built on organic certifications. In Canada, the organic industry is worth $9.35 billion and has agreements with 33 countries to support trade. Before new guidance, Health Canada and CFIA worked to keep genetic engineering out of the organic supply chain. But non-novel genomic techniques won't be subject to these processes anymore.

Tia Loftsgard says they want a registry of all gene edited products. Seed developers need to comply and the government should oversee it. Loftsgard thinks the government's announcement is a step back since they previously committed to transparency.

The organic sector doesn't want any contamination. It's important that all gene edited seeds are captured completely. There was a problem with GMO wheat in Alberta in 2018. This stopped Canada from exporting wheat to Japan and South Korea for a month and a half. This shows that Canada needs to be transparent about new genetically engineered products. It's not just organic farming that is at risk; all types of farming in Canada could be affected.

Canada Organic Trade Association and other organic partners joined a Technical Committee organized by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. The committee aimed to protect the organic sector after Minister Bibeau's promise to safeguard organic certifications and trade. The focus was on finding appropriate solutions to ensure the organic perspective was considered.

The organic sector's hopes were dashed by an unfruitful process. The timeline was too aggressive and hindered progress. The Technical Committee mainly focused on a seed industry-run database, which the organic participants saw as troublesome. Transparency and voluntariness clashed, so more measures are necessary for better transparency.

The Report has good suggestions, but lacks transparency for the organic sector. We need to explore more regulatory options and make improvements to the recommendations to ensure transparency for gene edited food, seeds, and feed at every stage. This includes breeding and processing.

Need to know more? Contact Tia Loftsgard, the Executive Director of the Canada Organic Trade Association. You can call or email her with any questions. The association's website is also a great source of information.

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