The recent announcement of a few unidentified GM wheat plants should not cause alarm and in fact demonstrates the effectiveness of the system, says Western Canadian Wheat Growers.
“Canada’s wheat system is the safest in the world. From the seed cleaning to the planting and harvesting, every stage has rigorous inspections and meets the highest standards.
“The fact this handful of GM plants were found and identified, shows that the Canadian grain handling system works. The system is thorough, transparent and confirms the detection protocol,” stated Cherilyn Nagel, director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers.
While there is no approved GM wheat yet, approved GM soy and canola have been served trillions of times with no health risks. In June 2014, 15 farm groups pledged their support for innovation in wheat, including the future commercialization of biotechnology. In order to meet the continued food security needs for the world, this work needs to continue, Nagel says.
“We need to continue to move the wheat industry forward, through ongoing research and development. These will be built upon the strong safety standards that we already adhere to.”
