Winnipeg, MB – With today's release of updated Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) guidance on plant breeding innovation, Canada takes a critical step toward enabling farmers' access to innovative seed varieties that respond to evolving production challenges and support resilient agricultural practices.
“Advancements in plant breeding allow for greater precision than ever before, ensuring faster access to new varieties and more tools to increase yield, mitigate pest and disease pressures, and further sustainable agriculture," explains Roger Chevraux, Chair of Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA). “Canola farmers are excited for the gains that plant breeding innovations like gene-edited crops can bring to the farm."
“The guidance provides a transparent and predictable regulatory approach to plant breeders, farmers, and consumers alike," says Dave Carey, CCGA's Vice-President, Government & Industry Relations. “Building on Health Canada's earlier guidance, CFIA's approach to environmental pre-market assessment of plant breeding innovation provides confidence to the plant breeding community to invest in research, development, and commercialization in Canada."
CCGA thanks the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, for her leadership in moving agriculture innovation forward so that Canadian farmers can be competitive in the global agriculture landscape.
“This guidance is important progress in ensuring Canada is competitive globally and that our regulatory framework is aligned with major agriculture producing and trading nations," says Carey.
In November 2022, CCGA signed the Global Farmer Statement on Plant Breeding Innovation calling on governments worldwide to remove regulatory hurdles and to ensure farmers have access to the best possible varieties to grow healthy, sustainable crops.
CCGA looks forward to contributing to the public consultation on CFIA's guidance for pre-market assessments for feed when it is announced.