As genetically modified farming spreads and batches contaminated by unapproved genetically modified products turn up more frequently around the world, Canada is moving to ease agricultural import restrictions.The government will initiate the World Trade Organization notification process for a new genetically modified organisms (GMO) policy once released for public consultation, later this fall, according to the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.Canada hopes if it allows trace amounts of unapproved GMOs in imports, known as low-level presence (LLP), set in the first draft at .1 per cent of any batch or lot tested, it will prompt other countries to adopt corresponding rules.The action is part of a broader strategy to curb unnecessary trade disruptions and make the agriculture sector more competitive, but not everyone is convinced.“I don't think Canadians should accept any level of contamination from foods that have not been approved by Health Canada,” said Lucy Sharratt, coordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, an umbrella organization of 17 groups including farmer associations, grassroots and environmental groups, and international development organizations. “There's no public health justification for assuming safety.”It can be costly to deal with cases where unapproved contaminants are discovered, and grain producers say with genetically enhanced products becoming more ubiquitous in the food chain it's time to set a new benchmark on the bottom end – known as a “redefinition of zero.”“Farmers feed the world,” said Jim Donner, an Innisfail-area farmer. “On an international basis we're looking at quality of food.”The cereal and oilseed grower says with one in eight around the globe going hungry it's up to farmers to innovate to help fill the gap.“Genetics are a way of increasing that production,” he said. “We've probably got trace in almost everything now.”When a genetically modified crop is given the go-ahead by one country it doesn't necessarily mean other countries will also allow the new crop, and small amounts can make its way into other crops during cultivation, harvest, transport or processing. This can block access to markets.On Sept. 8, 2009, Germany issued an EU-wide Rapid Alert notification confirming the presence of GM-flax in some samples of flax imports from Canada. An embargo was placed on Canadian flax, which caused flaxseed exports to drop from 321,400 tonnes in 2008-09 to 196,600 in 2009-10.The total cost for the EU flaxseed industry was calculated at $29.7 million. The overall value of Canadian flax exports has yet to fully recover.Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz took on the trace contaminants issue following the hit the flax industry took.“The Government of Canada's objective in developing a policy for LLP is to keep food, feed and the environment safe, while providing transparency and predictability for importers and exporters,” said Patrick Girard, a spokesperson for the department.Matthew Holmes, the executive director of the Canada Organic Trade Association, says Canada is about to become the first country to allow unapproved GMOs in our imports at these levels.“We're the experiment,” said Holmes. “They'd like to say our exports are better protected, but Canada can't dictate what somebody else will accept.”Germany has already indicated it is not interested in going along with Canada's new trace policy, he noted.“In many ways I don't see how they could ignore it,” he said. “Europe is very, very sensitive about GMOs.”Helen Booker, a flax breeder at the University of Saskatchewan's Crop Development Centre said moving the zero on our LLP standard is the first step to asking our trading partner to do the same.“Think about shipping grain in big containers -- there's going to be some mixing,” Booker said. “If testing was at the 0.1 level for GM events in Canadian flax we would have no problems shipping to Europe.”
