New soybeans and forage
varieties will get faster approvals if the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s proposals
are accepted.
The proposals have been
posted on its website and it is gathering public comments until May 23.
It says the changes will
reduce registration costs and will encourage small businesses to engage in
plant breeding and file for variety registrations.
But none of this applies to genetically-modified varieties. I think that's foolish because the risks, as far as I'm concerned, are far less with the manipulation of individual genes than with scattergun gene scrambling via chemicals or radiation, which was common practice long before GMO technology came along.
The CFIA proposes to drop
several current processes, including review panels to recommend which varieties
deserve to be registered. The applications would go direct to CFIA staff which
would make the decisions.
Edible soybean varieties
are already handled under this less onerous registration protocol, termed Schedule
III, Part III.
The forages
involved are alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, bromegrasses, canarygrass, alsike
clover, red clover, sweet clover, white clover, forage-type fescues, lupin,
orchardgrass
