Canola Council welcomes guidance in support of plant breeding innovation

Contributed

May 3, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) published guidance regarding plant breeding, which will facilitate innovation and development of improved plant varieties. This guidance supports the introduction of gene-edited products in the Canadian market.

“This is an important step for ongoing canola innovation and Canada’s success,” says Jim Everson, president of the Canola Council of Canada (CCC). “Canola itself is the product of Canadian innovation, and plant breeding innovation has been key to canola generating nearly $30 billion in nation-wide impact each year.” Plant breeding advancements are a critical part of the canola industry’s Keep it Coming strategy that guides the value chain and prepares for the opportunities and challenges ahead, including improved productivity to meet global market demand. New varieties will help make Canada’s canola crop more resilient in the face of pest pressures and climate change, support higher yields on each acre of farmland and improve sustainability through enhanced resource use efficiency. A key feature of the industry’s new Canola Innovation Strategy, plant breeding innovation has been a longstanding priority of CCC advocacy.

“We support CFIA’s new guidance that provides a robust science-based approach to Canada’s domestic regulatory framework,” says Everson. “This will encourage new and additional research and development investment in Canada, while at the same time upholding safety and aligning with many of our trading partners in the approach to plant breeding regulation.”

The Canola Council of Canada is a full value chain organization representing canola growers, processors, life science companies and exporters. Keep it Coming 2025 is the strategic plan to ensure the canola industry’s continued growth, demand, stability and success. For more information, visit canolacouncil. org or follow CCC on Twitter @canolacouncil.