Biotechnology processes streamlined in USMCA

When the original NAFTA agreement was implemented in 1994, biotechnology processes intended for practical agricultural use were in their early stages. But genetic modification has come a long way in the past quarter-century and advances continue daily.

Laboratory-based genetic sequencing and manipulation is clearly addressed in the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement rules. Scientific processes and regulations that evolved independently for more than 25 years, now need to be standardized for the three countries.

Ian Affleck is Vice-President of Biotechnology for Crop Life Canada. He says new regulations will require systemic changes because the American and the Canadian GMO development rules evolved differently.

“With the USMCA coming into force, there’s a biotechnology chapter that’s supposed to help the two countries align their approaches. Most countries around the world, the US included, chose a Process-based approach. So, their first step would be to say, ‘Did you use genetic engineering, and create a GMO? If so, we want to take a look.’ Canada took a different approach, to say ‘It doesn’t matter how you made it, it’s really about what you made. Is the Product you made so new that we to take a look, as a government, to ensure its safety.’ We just start from a different foot to get to those approvals.”

Affleck says recent advances in Gene Editing technology are more subtle– and small differences can make big problems for seed-breeders accessing new markets.

“The advent of gene editing is a really new technology for plant breeders. It adds a new wrinkle into the equation. With GMO’s usually the changes were always big. With gene editing its not so certain. It may be able to make a larger or drastic change, or it might be a smaller change. So, this is why we need this policy guidance of what is new, to make sure that as plant breeders are embarking on products, they know what it is they have to do, to meet their regulatory expectations.”

Crop Life Canada is lobbying in favor of the U.S. processed-based approach because Affleck says they don’t want Canadian farmers to miss out on American products.

“The USDA-APHIS rules, if you were to boil them down its ‘have you done something that’s something that plant couldn’t have done on its own, and if you did, you’re going to need an assessment. If you didn’t, you don’t need an assessment.’ That’s a very rational way forward. If we’re not clear on our policies going forward, it could make launching US varieties in Canada a little more tricky.”

Glyphosate-tolerance, BT-insecticide integration and trait-stacking have all made changes to crops and yield.