Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, and thank you for this opportunity to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Today I would like to provide an overview of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's mandate as it relates to genetic use restriction technologies, or GURTs. You've made reference to the terminator technology as well. I and my colleague Glyn Chancey will do our best to answer any questions you may have after this.
As Canada's largest science-based regulatory agency, the CFIA is responsible for regulatory policy setting and the delivery of all federally mandated food inspection, plant protection, and animal health programs. As part of its mandate, the CFIA regulates the environmental release of plants developed through biotechnology, which are included in a broad category called plants with novel traits. Plants with these GURT-type traits would fall within that category.
GURTs are forms of genetic engineering technology. In theory, GURTs provide the means to either restrict the use of a plant variety or the expression of a trait of a particular plant variety, analogous to throwing a genetic switch on or off.
Our understanding is that actually there are two types of GURTs. One type, the type that is perhaps more controversial, would control a seed's ability to grow. This type is sometimes referred to as the terminator technology, as you mentioned. The other type, the type that's often overlooked actually, would allow a plant to express specific traits--for example, drought resistance or improved nutritional qualities--only after specific treatment, such as a spray application or something like that. This type of GURT would not affect a plant's ability to reproduce, at least as we understand it.
Mr. Chair, it is not the CFIA's responsibility to promote or oppose this technology. It is, however, the agency's responsibility to ensure that Canada has a strong and effective regulatory system that allows us to manage the potential risks associated with plants with novel traits in general, including those with these GURT-type traits.
Science is the basis of the agency's policy development, program design, and delivery. It is also an essential component of its regulatory decision-making and verification and enforcement activities. Laboratory science, risk assessment, surveillance, and research and technology development are the tools the agency uses every day to protect Canadians.
Before approving any plant with novel traits in Canada, the CFIA, in conjunction with our colleagues at Health Canada, conducts stringent assessments on the potential risks to our environment, livestock, and food. Our goal is to ensure that the products of biotechnologies available to farmers are consistent with approaches to sustainable agriculture.
It is important to note, Mr. Chair, that GURTs are still at the research stage. To our knowledge, to date there have been no commercial applications or even research field trials in Canada. However, given the complexity of this technology and the length of time it would take for a product to fulfill regulatory requirements, the CFIA does not expect to see a proposal for potential authorization for any plants with GURT traits in the near future. However, if and when we receive such applications, the agency would treat them they way it would for any other plant with a novel trait.
In addition, as you may or may not know, the issue of GURTs has been raised at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, where recommendations have been made related to the use of GURT-type technologies. Canada supports these recommendations, particularly because Canada is a party to this convention as well. These recommendations are to proceed cautiously, on a case-by-case basis, using science to guide all our decisions.
In closing, let me assure the committee that no use will be made of GURTs in Canada until such technologies have been demonstrated to be safe for humans, animals, and the environment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.