It's similar to what happens in nature, but much faster. Instead, a technique known as CRISPR - a sort of pair of molecular scissors - is used to snip or tweak existing DNA sequences. Schwarcz explained that gene editing does not involve splicing any DNA from a non-related organism into fruits or vegetables. we've been eating genetic-modified foods now for 40 years and we're still here." How gene editing works The opposition has kind of dampened down. "Any new technology has opposition, and slowly that withers away. "When you are taking a gene from a foreign organism, that scares people," says Joe Schwarcz, a professor of chemistry and director of the McGill University office for science and society. On May 3 Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced updates to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) seed guidelines that allow for modified or gene-edited seeds and plants. But now, with gene editing, we can do it very precisely and well, obviously, faster." "We could have reached the same result through traditional plant breeding. The utmost priority is to make sure that we know it is safe for consumption," Bibeau said. And there's global, not unanimity, but general consensus that it's safe. "We have the reassurance from our scientists. "The vast majority of farmers want these new technologies. When we have seeds that are more resilient to pests, it means less pesticides," Bibeau told CBC on Tuesday. The Agriculture Minister says Canada needs to embrace new technologies that help with food production, in the face of climate change. In June of 2022 Martin Caron, president of the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA), said knowing which seeds are modified is "essential information if we are to continue to meet the demands of consumers who do not wish to consume these products." (Shawn Fulton/Upland organics)Īcross Canada farmers have flagged the need for seed transparency. While that database is voluntary, Bibeau says it will be overseen by a steering committee that includes and protects organic producers.Īllison Squires says it's crucial to her organic farm certification that she can be sure her seeds are not genetically modified. These seeds will be allowed without an independent safety assessment by the government, as they are already considered safe.Ĭanada also announced an industry-managed database - the Seeds Canada Canadian Variety Transparency Database - to make it clear which seeds are and are not organic. The updated seed rules now allow seeds created through gene-editing that are not spliced with foreign DNA or altered to make them pesticide-resistant. On May 3, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) seed guidelines now allow for some modified plants. Allison Squires grows organic grains like wheat, lentils and flax on her farm in Wood Mountain, Sask., but she says she is "supremely disappointed" in Canada's newly clarified seed guidelines that she says puts her sector at risk.Ĭanada has just relaxed guidelines around gene-edited seeds, a move that the biotech industry says could lead to everything from Canada planting more drought-resistant crops to, someday, pitless cherries and sweeter broccoli.
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