Canadian Food Inspection Agency Third and final judgment announced Friday Research on gene editing for crop variety development has paved the way for this precise and cost-effective plant breeding tool to be used in Canada.
Does this mean farmers will have access to new drought-tolerant or nitrogen-efficient varieties next year? Krista Thomas, vice-president of trade policy and seed innovation at the Grain Council of Canada I say no.
The clarity provided by CFIA opens the door to exciting new breakthroughs in plant breeding, but like any new lineage, it takes time for new varieties to go through the registration process and years of seed propagation. takes. Importantly, gene-edited strains do not go through a genetic modification registration process, and the resulting strains are not considered “GMOs.”
Furthermore, before farmers can access gene-edited varieties on a large scale, there are still some key elements of market acceptance that are in place, especially in key export markets.
One thing is certain, Thomas said: Gene-editing-derived varieties and hybrids will not work until farmers know in advance what they are growing and whether any additional isolation or paperwork will be required for a particular variety. This means that it is specified in such a way that it can be understood.
Watch/listen to the full interview with Mr. Thomas. There, she explains how gene editing technology works, how it can be applied, and how farmers can access new varieties.
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