Ottawa-Canada needs to show leadership in implementing measures that will achieve consumer acceptance of foods containing ingredients from gene-edited crops, says Steven Webb, Executive Director and CEO of the Global Institute for Food Security.

GE plant breeding is vital to enabling plants to survive drought and other climate events, Webb told the Grow Canada 2024 conference. Canada needs to show more leadership in developing good regulatory policies in areas involving the trade in export crops. It also needs to work on developing public trust for new innovations and how to bring them to market and build Canada’s brand internationally.

A growing world population means there needs to be more diversity in plant breeding to meet different growing conditions and consumer wishes, he said. “The regulatory framework needs to provide more clarity for crop innovations, Canada can take a leadership role in gene editing of crops.”

The EU approach of not approving genetic modifications of plants is shaping innovation in Europe. In response, countries like Canada need science-based policies and engaging their customers on the value and safety of plant breeding innovations, Webb said.

To do that, “we need to think about the transparency of our practices. Agri-food companies have a big role to play in this. We want to get our products into the hands of grocers for consumers who will want to buy them.”

To do that, the sector needs to think about how to achieve buy-in from consumers on new products. Webb said Canada is regarded as a place of high standards. “We also need to think about the transparency of our practices. Companies also have a big role to play in this.” 

While wrestling with this challenge, the sector should also be considering how plant breeding can be accelerated. “Think about the impact of new crops coming to market. It’s all part of building trust. Technology doesn’t leave a footprint.”

Logan Skori, the Founder of AgGene, a company which develops genetic testing equipment, said Canada has a lot of good plant biologists because it has doubled down on developing skills and keeping talent in Canada.

“There needs to be more public funding to help boost Canada’s becoming a world leader in plant innovation. There has to be funding to boost G.E programs. We need more in our pipeline.” He also cautioned the sector to watch the impact of E.U. policies.

“We need a buy in from consumers for our GE products. People regard Canada as a place of high standards.” He also urged that the needs of farmers should be kept in mind in plant breeding projects.

Nassib Mugwanya, an international agricultural development specialist, said Canada is one of the most progressive countries and an agriculture market leader because it “is really transparent about the policies surrounding the sector. Canada should focus on the needs of other countries with its innovations. The best way to do that is by exploring partnerships with them.”

This news item prepared for National Newswatch