Canola sector pleased about U.S. guidance around clean fuel regulations
Canada’s canola sector is pleased with guidance around U.S. clean fuel production credits. Proposed regulations were published this week.
At first blush, they seem to support Canadian canola’s access to the U.S. market, said Chris Davidson, president of the Canola Council of Canada. Davidson was pleased to see the credit limiting feedstocks to those grown in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
This means cooking oil and tallow from overseas won’t be eligible.
Canada’s canola industry hopes to see similar rules in amendments to Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulation.
Biofuel is a policy-driven market. As such, it’s still waiting on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish it’s Renewable Volume Obligations for 2026 and 2027. The agency has floated policy that would disincentivize biofuels imported or made from imported feedstock. Ruling on that policy is expected in the first quarter of this year.
Global acceptance growing for gene edited crops
Global acceptance of gene edited crops is growing – even in the formerly hostile European Union. That’s according to Dan Jenkins, vice president with Pairwise, which is using gene editing in crop development.
In 2018, the EU ruled that gene edited plants would go through the same lengthy approval process as transgenic GMOs. Jenkins said this put a chill on global investment.
However, in December of last year the EU changed course. It ruled that some gene edited crops would be treated like conventional varieties, while others made with more complex processes would be regulated like GMOs.
Countries like the United States, Japan, Australia, India and the United Kingdom have decided to lightly regulate gene edited crops.
Canada’s approach sees most gene edited crops treated like conventionally-bred varieties. However, export markets continue to be a challenge as not all have established rules around biotechnology.
Avian influenza pops up in Dutch dairy cattle
The United States is no longer the only country to confirm avian influenza in dairy cattle. It’s now popped up in the Netherlands.
According to a Science.org report published late last month, officials found evidence of prior infection in a Dutch dairy cow’s milk. They tested cattle after a cat on the farm was found to have been killed by the H5N1 virus.
Vets did not find the virus itself in milk on the farm however, findings of antibodies suggested a recent infection. The Netherlands agriculture minister said there was no evidence that other farms have been infected.
Canada has not seen a case of avian influenza among cattle. An outbreak in the U.S. saw more than a thousand cases since March 2024. Known infections have tapered off, though there was one in Wisconsin as recently as December.
