Biotech crops widely used, consumers still wary of GM wheat

Biotech crops widely used, consumers still wary of GM wheat

A crop used widely for human food is more sensitive than earlier introductions

Nearly all corn, canola and soybean acres in the world’s largest exporting countries are seeded with genetically modified varieties, but that is not the case for wheat, a crop grown primarily for human food. Biotech varieties of corn, canola and soy, used for animal feed, biofuels and cooking oil, were introduced in 1996 and soon

oats

Health Canada decision adds fuel to gene editing debate

Proponents say gene editing will allow faster innovation. Opponents say it’s potentially dangerous and may undermine trust

A recent Health Canada decision deemed gene-edited plants safe for the Canadian food supply — and the decision wasn’t without controversy. This spring, Health Canada ruled on new guidance for its Novel Food Regulations, after lengthy consultations. Why it matters: Removing gene-edited plants from the more highly regulated class of “novel foods,” under a set


Local farmers, nutritionists, researchers and industry representatives tackle the GMO debate at the Brandon screening of “Food Evolution” April 10.

Documentary takes off the gloves on GMO debate

GMOs have been a lightning rod for controversy, but documentary 
‘Food Evolution’ argues that science has been the underdog in the debate

Agriculture recently had a red-carpet moment, with twin screening of the documentary “Food Evolution” in Brandon and Winnipeg. Organized by the Manitoba Canola Growers, Canola Eat Well, the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association, Canadian Agri-Marketing Association and Assiniboine Community College, screening and panel discussion on April 10 aimed to educate the public about the

plants growing in a lab

Opinion: Clarifying ‘What’s in a name?’

Science has always led the way in agriculture, and continues to do so today. Yet advances in plant breeding are being met with skepticism, fear and vehement opposition by many consumers. Perhaps we aren’t listening closely enough to their concerns. Because we understand the science, we assumed they would too. We’ve failed in telling our


Opinion: Avoiding GMOs isn’t just anti-science. It’s immoral

Everyone should benefit from this technology, but opposition in wealthy countries thwarts that goal

Of the several claims of “anti-science” that clutter our policy debates these days, none can be more flagrantly clear than the campaign against modern agricultural technology, most specifically the use of molecular techniques to create genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Here, there are no credibly conflicting studies, no arguments about the validity of computer models, no

Princess Anne says she’d plant GMO crops on her own land if she were legally allowed to.

U.K. royals’ sibling rivalry on GMOs?

Princess Anne made the approving comments about GMO crops during a BBC radio interview

Britain’s Princess Anne may have sparked some royal sibling rivalry after saying genetically modified crops had real benefits to offer, putting her at odds with her older brother Charles who says they would be an environmental disaster. In an interview with BBC radio, Anne said she would grow GMO crops on her farming estates, adding


Hand over wheat field in early summer evening.

Changing the discussion on genetic engineering

A genetic engineering researcher who is married to an organic farmer is trying to bridge the gap between consumers and science

The evolution of genetic engineering will continue, with more diverse options, giving scientists more flexibility to breed crops better for farmers and human nutrition. But farmers and researchers will continue to have to explain the technology to consumers focused on the genetic level, said Pamela Ronald. Ronald, a genetic engineering researcher at the University of

Quinoa, seen growing wild here in Peru at an altitude of 3,800 metres, is an example of one crop that could be better domesticated with modern technology.

Planned mutations can increase crop options

The most common food crops benefited from natural mutations and modern technology could aid this process

There are more than 300,000 plant species in existence, but just three — rice, wheat and corn — account for almost all of the plant matter consumed by humans. In no small part that’s because natural mutations arose making these crops the easiest to harvest. But with gene editing technology like CRISPR, researchers suggest we


Editorial: Butt out

Recently Manitoba’s Bothwell Cheese announced it had received Project GMO certification for one of its product lines. Boiled down, it means the cheese in question is made from milk that comes from cows fed non-GMO feed. The move came, the company explained at the time, as a result of consumers asking for such a product.

Portion of Cheddar (detailed close-up shot) on vintage wooden background

Cheese maker chases non-GMO specialty market

It’s a case of giving consumers what they want, rather than creating 
a differentiation as a marketing ploy, says Bothwell

A Manitoba cheese maker will become the first in Canada to produce a verified non-GMO product. Bothwell Cheese has been awarded the voluntary label by the Non-GMO Project, a U.S.-based non-profit, for a new cheddar product line due out in 2017. Mike Raftis, Bothwell’s vice-president of marketing, sales and communications, says the move comes in