CALGARY, AB: Canada’s wheat system is the safest in the world. From the seed cleaning to the planting and harvesting, every stage has rigorous inspections and meets the highest standards. The recent announcement of a few unidentified GM wheat plants should not cause alarm and in fact demonstrates the effectiveness of the system.
“The fact this handful of GM plants were found and identified, shows that the Canadian grain handling system works. The system is thorough, transparent and confirms the detection protocol,” stated Cherilyn Nagel, Director of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers.
While there is no approved GM wheat yet, approved GM soy and canola have been served trillions of times with no health risks. In June 2014, 15 farm groups pledged their support for innovation in wheat, including the future commercialization of biotechnology. In order to meet the continued food security needs for the world, this work needs to continue.
“We need to continue to move the wheat industry forward, through ongoing research and development. These will be built upon the strong safety standards that we already adhere to,” said Nagel.
About the Wheat Growers:
Founded in 1970, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization dedicated to developing public policy solutions that strengthen the profitability and sustainability of farming, and the agricultural industry as a whole. For more information, please visit wheatgrowers.ca.
For More Information Contact:
Jim Wickett, Chair
306-219-8009
jwickett@wheatgrowers.ca
Cherilyn Nagel, Director
306-354-7368
cnagel@wheatgrowers.ca