Agriculture committee  Well, our organization is a network of 16 groups that are all looking specifically at genetic engineering. It's a technology with enough power and enough applications that it touches on a wide range of really important issues.

Agriculture committee  Each government has its own regulatory system.

Agriculture committee  The CFIA has a definition of genetic engineering. It uses the term “genetic modification” much more widely than the public and is generally understood. Internationally, the term “genetic modification” is used the same way that the CFIA defines genetic engineering. We thus use the

Agriculture committee  The issue of genetic engineering is a scientific issue as well as a social and economic issue. It's not just about the science itself, which is in dispute. Scientific knowledge is ever evolving. One of our starting points of concern is about how much science examines the individu

Agriculture committee  Our new report on GM contamination and contamination escapes shows that some GMOs can be controlled and that some are more controllable than others. When it comes to GM alfalfa, for example, farmers were very concerned about the issue of contamination. When it comes to the GM app

Agriculture committee  I think there are several ways in which government infrastructure could encourage this. One is by creating a larger role for public research, because at the moment, regardless of what we see ahead or project, the reality of genetic engineering on the ground is dominated by the la

Agriculture committee  Thank you. It goes to the heart of the question around genetic engineering, how to introduce new technologies and how to bring new innovation to the fore. This is an important role for not just public research, but public engagement, determining the priorities for innovation and

Agriculture committee  We commissioned a poll in 2015, an Ipsos Reid poll, and it—

Agriculture committee  The answers that Canadians gave as to why they wanted GM food labelled were multiple and diverse. Eighty-seven per cent said that they just wanted to know what they were eating, how the food was produced or where it was produced. Many were concerned about issues like corporate co

Agriculture committee  Even their answers said that, actually, people are thinking through the issue through different lenses.

Agriculture committee  It's genetically engineered—

Agriculture committee  —so as per the CFIA definition of genetic engineering, where you have—

Agriculture committee  We talk about the science, like the process of genetic engineering, including gene editing.

Agriculture committee  We would suggest that actually labelling the product of the technology would enable a discussion between Canadians about that technology.

Agriculture committee  We are discussing the issues that are raised, which we think are legitimate and necessary—so, the benefits and risks of the technology.