The Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) expressed its support for the
advancement of plant breeding, particularly in gene-edited crops. Their
latest statement highlighted the role of modern plant technology in
driving the safe and sustainable growth of Canada's agriculture sector.

Their statement came after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced
the 120-day public consultation on May 2021 regarding the guidance to
determine whether a plant is subject to the Seeds Regulation part V,
which sets out the regulatory requirements for both the confined and
unconfined environmental release of seed. The GGC statement also tackles
the consultation launched by Health Canada in March 2021 about the new
regulatory guidance for novel food focused on plant breeding.  While the
consultations send a strong signal in the safety and importance of plant
breeding innovations, the GGC expressed that there are still some parts
of the documents that need to be clarified to make sure that the
Canadian farmers will be at par with their global competitors in
accessing these new varieties. The Council considers both consultations
vital as these will have a significant impact on crop varieties that
will be made available to Canadian farmers for the next years to come,
thus they are encouraging the entire Canadian grain industry to take
part in these consultations.

GGC considers modern plant technology like gene-edited crops crucial
because these new varieties can help farmers adapt to changing climate
conditions and pest pressures while still growing safe, high quality,
and affordable food for consumers despite the pressure to feed a rapidly
expanding global population while meeting climate change goals and
contributing to the Canadian economy. GGC also emphasized that these new
varieties help farmers grow more using fewer resources and sustaining
arable land in the country. They stated that new crop varieties are the
backbone of Canada's agriculture industry and that it is the agriculture
industry that is the driving force in Canada's economic recovery past
theCOVID-19 pandemic.

Canadaâ??s grain farmers advocate for modern plant technology at a federal
level - Grain Growers of Canada (ggc-pgc.ca)
[www.ggc-pgc.ca]