Oct. 2, 2023 - The Canada Organic Trade Association calls on Health Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to
In May, Marie-Claude Bibeau, the minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), announced the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) revised seed guidelines which will now include a mix of gene-edited seeds. This means gene-edited seeds and gene modified plants will no longer need to undergo an independent safety assessment as they are seen as safe.
Organic farmers say Canada's relaxed guidelines welcome genetically modified seeds and leave them no room to opt out, while biotech developers applaud the change, saying it will help farmers increase crop yields in the face of food insecurity and climate change.