Feature Articles
Regulating Plant Biotech in Canada
(NC)—Canadians who are confused about plant biotechnology in Canada are not alone.
Innovations in science such as drought-and pest-resistant crops are not only helping farmers here, they are having a significant impact on feeding the hungry around the world.
But who watches these innovations to ensure new crops are safe to humans, animals and the environment? According to Trish Jordan, chair of the Council for Biotechnology Information, in Canada it is a shared responsibility.
“The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for regulating the safety of crops that have been enhanced through plant biotechnology,” she explained. “Health Canada is responsible for ensuring that all GM foods are as safe and nutritious for humans as food already on the marketplace.”
Before a food is available to the marketplace, it goes through a stringent safety process. After scientists develop new products in confined greenhouses, they undergo a field trial evaluation. These crops are isolated from neighboring plants, and are strictly regulated for environmental safety and confinement.
Finally, before allowing a product into the marketplace, CFIA and Health Canada scientists complete a critical review of the data, focusing on ensuring the safety for humans, animals and the environment. For the CFIA, these include protecting natural habitats and biodiversity and ensuring livestock feed is safe for livestock.
Health Canada focuses on criteria including food safety for human consumption and nutritional value of the products.
“Canadian farmers are huge adopters of technology on the farm. They want products that give them an economic and environmental advantage and they are world leaders in producing a safe, healthy and abundant food supply,” said Jordan.
“Canadians can rest assured that our regulatory system, with all its checks and balances, ensures all products of biotechnology are safe for people, plants and our environment before they are made available to the consumer.”
Jordan adds that as evidence of this safety, one only need look at the fact that in their 15 years of use, more than 1 trillion meals containing biotech crop ingredients have been consumed with zero reliably documented harm to human health.
The effects of climate change on our food
Q/ What does climate change mean to our food supply?
It is expected that climate change will cause significant crop yield losses, more frequent droughts, increased water scarcity and new pest problems.
Q/ Does this mean we are facing a food shortage?
Innovations in plant biotechnology are finding solutions to these challenges. More efficient growing techniques, better water conservation and the creation of drought- and pest-resistant crops are helping us grow more food on less land.
Q/ Will we run out of food?
Leading scientists predict the world will grow from 6 billion people to 9 billion people by 2050. That means finding ways to grow more nutritionally rich foods using less land and water is absolutely critical. Scientists in Canada and around the world are developing new products to help meet these needs.
Q/ What can we do to counteract the effects of climate change in food production?
Farmers are already adopting methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon emissions. Scientists are also developing plants with improved nitrogen use efficiency that will reduce the need for added fertilizer and further reduce emissions.
Q/ How will the growing global demand for food affect the use of land in Canada?
As the world begins to experience greater food shortages, they will look to Canada’s arable land to increase food production. However, thanks to advances in biotechnology, which allow farmers to grow more food per hectare, farmers will not have to expand their farms and encroach on natural environments.
Q/ What are farmers doing to protect the environment?
Farmers are incorporating environmental practices in their farming. For example, higher yielding crops have not only lessened the pressure to clear land, they have reduced emissions by up to 13 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. These practices also benefit the farmer by reducing costs.