Producers are being asked to urge Health Canada to adopt “fair and reasonable rules” for gene editing.
The department is conducting a public consultation on “novel food” guidelines, which could impact use of gene editing by plant breeders. Canada has not kept pace with other countries, says an alliance of national farm groups and industry associations called Advancing Agriculture.
“I urge my fellow grain and crop farmers from coast to coast to let Health Canada know that we care about — and need access to — new plant-breeding innovation,” Alberta producer D’Arcy Hilgartner said in a release put out by the alliance.
It has a created an email form letter to Health Canada that can be found at the Advancing Agriculture website.
