Critical Thinking about Biotechnology:
Genetically Modified Crops
B. Consumers and Society
The issues:
Is GM Canola Safe?
Adopting new technologies
The issue: Is GM Canola Safe?
 Making sure the product is safe for humans is one of the most important aspects in the development stages. Canada's regulatory system is studied by countries around the world, as a model of how consumers, producers and government officials can work together to ensure that only safe food is available to Canadians.
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency share responsibility for the safety of foods developed using agricultural biotechnology.
Health Canada is responsible for:
- The approval of GM foods
- Food labelling policies with respect to health and safety matters - such as nutritional content, allergens, toxins, etc.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is responsible for food labelling policies with respect to non-health and safety matters and conducts safety assessments on genetically modified:
- Seeds
- Plants
- Fertilizers
- Feeds
Products of biotechnology are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Products are approved only once they have been carefully evaluated and considered safe for humans, animals, plants and the environment.
Details on the types of criteria and the decision documents for products that have been approved are available at:
 Ernie's Perspective:
“I think that everyone should ask questions about the safety of the food they eat. But, you can't forget that as a farmer I am also a consumer. I ask questions, because as a farmer I produce the commodity, which is processed and turned into food that we buy in grocery stores.
I feel confident in Canada's food supply. I believe that the people in my community are also confident in the food supply. We have a stringent and thorough regulatory system in place that makes sure that the food we eat is safe.”
 Geoff's Perspective:
“The end use for the majority of canola grown on my farm is to produce canola oil for human consumption. I have the utmost confidence in the product we produce. Canada has one of the safest and most thoroughly regulated food supplies in the world. I believe farmers need to do a better job of communicating to the public about how food is produced. Less than 3% of the population is currently involved in food production or farming in Canada. When more people understand how and why we do things on the farms I am certain that people will support GM crops.”
 Kelvin's Perspective:
“Even though I am a producer, I am also a consumer. As scientists develop and test new innovations in biotechnology, government regulators have put new policies in place to ensure that these new innovations are safe. It is my understanding that existing government guidelines are more strict on crops produced through biotechnology than they are on conventional foods.”
 Zenneth's Perspective:
“I have faith in our regulatory system and I have watched researchers be diligent in their approach and in their testing of biotechnology. Having the resources to use fewer pesticides through the use of genetically modified (GM) canola or with any other practice is of a high priority within my operation. However, it is also extremely important that these new tools are safe for the environment, for animals and humans.”
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The issue: Adopting new technologies
 How do canola producers decide what is the best technology they should implement on their farms?
Ernie's Perspective
“The majority of the decisions made on my farm are based on economics. We also want to know about any environmental impacts for any new technology. One of the driving forces on the decision to use GM canola on my farm was soil conservation. Another technology that I've tried and that has worked is to use a computer bookkeeping program to manage our farm. This system has allowed my farm to be more profitable because it enables me to have a more accurate budgeting process in place.
A technology on the farm that was not profitable and as a result was stopped is tillage. I found that by not tilling the soil, we would not waste as much fuel driving the tractor to make extra passes on the field. Because I wasn't driving the tractors as much, I had more time to spend on other, more important tasks and with my family.”
Geoff's Perspective:
“I am amazed at the number of choices I have to help me to produce high quality food products.
The amount of information has grown even more with the use of the Internet - a tool I often use on the farm to search for more information on various new technologies.
When I am making a decision on a new technology, I evaluate economics and environmental concerns for my area and situation. For example, I decided to grow GM canola next year on one specific field to control the very persistent weed, cleavers. Cleavers is a very persistent weed that is not easily controlled by a number of pesticides. There is a GM canola variety engineered to be resistant to a pesticide that provides excellent control of cleavers. Through planting this variety I hope to control a very tough weed while still reducing the use of pesticides on our farm.”
Kelvin's Perspective:
“We look primarily at efficiency because our long-term goal to downsize our operation. We look at the potential for increased productivity or profitability to stay on target for downsizing, which means that our operation will stay profitable on a smaller land base.
Opportunity costs are also important to us. When you choose a new technology, there is always another opportunity that is given up. Keeping my farm in an environmentally healthy state is imperative so I must choose a technology that will follow this objective yet still be cost effective.”
 Zenneth's Perspective:
“I get information from several different sources to help me decide which new technologies are best suited for my operation. I tap into the knowledge of other producers in the area, retailers, and company representatives and through the use of agricultural chat lines on the Internet. I also look at field trials conducted by universities, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canola Council of Canada, and canola production centers in Saskatchewan. These centers ask for producer input and offer real field size trials in real world conditions.
From an economic standpoint, I use a computer program designed to evaluate the costs and benefits of a new product. If there is a new variety that may have the potential to increase the yield on our farm, we compare this new variety to those we currently grow. We would then use a comparative analysis between the two varieties as our major method of assessing profitability.
My wife and I also evaluate market trends. I have grown some identity preserved canola varieties because they have a unique fit to the marketplace.”
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The benefits of the early products of biotechnology have been mainly for farmers; it is a tool that can help them manage their farming operations. The biotechnology industry presents some of the reasons why these first products can give a look into the future:
Extension Activity:
Call your provincial Canola Info representative for a list of speakers to give a class presentation on the pros and cons of growing a GM crop.
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