THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY Required Report - public distribution Date: 11/20/2018 GAIN Report Number: CA18055 Canada Agricultural Biotechnology Annual 2018 Approved By: Evan Mangino, Agricultural Attaché Prepared By: Harvey Bradford, Agricultural Specialist Alexandrea Watters, Agricultural Specialist Report Highlights: The estimated area planted to Genetically Engineered (GE) crops in Canada was down 2 percent in 2018, due primarily to lower soybean area in the prairie provinces. Since the 2017 biotechnology annual, Health Canada has approved new GE canola, apple, rice and sugarcane varieties for food, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has approved the first two for unconfined release into the environment. Keywords: Canada, CA18055, Biotechnology, Genetically Engineered 1 | P a g e Table of Contents CHAPTER 1: PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY ................................................................................. 5 PART A: PRODUCTION AND TRADE ............................................................................................ 5 a) PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: ........................................................................................................... 5 b) COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION: ...................................................................................................... 7 c) EXPORTS: ......................................................................................................................................... 10 d) IMPORTS: ......................................................................................................................................... 13 e) TRADE BARRIERS: ......................................................................................................................... 15 PART B: POLICY ........................................................................................................................... 15 a) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: .................................................................................................... 15 b) APPROVALS: ................................................................................................................................... 21 c) STACKED or PYRAMIDED EVENT APPROVALS: ..................................................................... 22 d) FIELD TESTING: ............................................................................................................................. 22 e) INNOVATIVE BIOTECHNOLOGIES: ........................................................................................... 23 f) COEXISTENCE: ................................................................................................................................ 23 g) LABELING: ...................................................................................................................................... 23 h) MONITORING AND TESTING: ..................................................................................................... 25 i) LOW LEVEL PRESENCE (LLP): .................................................................................................... 25 j) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR): .............................................................................. 25 k) CARTAGENA PROTOCOL RATIFICATION: .............................................................................. 26 l) INTERNATIONAL TREATIES and FORUMS: ............................................................................... 26 PART C: MARKETING .................................................................................................................. 27 a) PUBLIC/PRIVATE OPINIONS / MARKET ACCEPTANCE/STUDIES: ...................................... 27 CHAPTER 2: ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY ............................................................................ 28 PART D: PRODUCTION AND TRADE .......................................................................................... 28 a) PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: ......................................................................................................... 28 b) COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION: .................................................................................................... 28 c) EXPORTS: ......................................................................................................................................... 29 d) IMPORTS: ......................................................................................................................................... 29 e) TRADE BARRIERS: ......................................................................................................................... 29 PART E: POLICY ........................................................................................................................... 29 a) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: .................................................................................................... 29 b) APPROVALS: ................................................................................................................................... 31 c) INNOVATIVE BIOTECHNOLOGIES: ........................................................................................... 31 d) LABELING AND TRACEABILITY: ............................................................................................... 32 e) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR): .............................................................................. 32 f) INTERNATIONAL TREATIES and FORUMS: ............................................................................... 32 PART F: MARKETING .................................................................................................................. 32 a) PUBLIC/PRIVATE OPINIONS: ....................................................................................................... 33 b) MARKET ACCEPTANCE/STUDIES: ............................................................................................. 33 2 | P a g e List of Tables Table 1: Area Seeded to Biotech Crops in Canada....................................................................................... 7 Table 2: Regulating Agencies and Relevant Legislation ........................................................................... 17 Table 3: Regulating Agencies’ Responsibilities ........................................................................................ 18 Table 4: CFIA Approvals .......................................................................................................................... 21 Table 5: Legislative Responsibility for the Regulation of Animal Biotechnology .................................... 30 List of Figures Figure 1: Canola Oil Exports to China and the U.S. ..................................................................... 11 Figure 2: Canola Seed Exports to Top Three Markets ................................................................. 11 Figure 3: Soybean Oil Exports to the World and the United States ............................................. 12 Figure 4: Soybean Oil Exports, Percentage by Province .............................................................. 12 Figure 5: Flaxseed Exports to Belgium, China and the United States .......................................... 13 Figure 7: Corn Imports From the United States............................................................................ 14 Figure 8: Corn Production in Canada ........................................................................................... 15 3 | P a g e Executive Summary In 2018, Canada planted approximately 12.2 million hectares of genetically engineered (GE) crops, mainly canola, soybean, corn, sugar beets and some alfalfa. The area planted to GE crops fell roughly 2 percent in 2018. This can be partially attributed to small reductions in area planted to canola and much larger reductions to soybean. Much of the soybean reductions were in the prairie provinces, where farmers increased wheat area planted in anticipation of lower soybean yields from dry planting conditions and from expected moisture deficiency through the growing season. In marketing year (MY) 2018/19, soybean area planted grew 9 percent in Ontario while dropping 6 percent in Manitoba and 52 percent in Saskatchewan. Total soybean area planted decreased by 13 percent across Canada, as declines in the prairie provinces more than offset gains in Ontario. In January 2018, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada (HC) approved the unconfined environmental release of one Bayer canola product and one apple variety from Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc. for commercial planting purposes, livestock feed and food use. In March 2018, a rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute and a sugarcane variety from the Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira were approved for use as food. Development of high oleic and high linoleic varieties should continue to impact the balance between canola, soybean and sunflower within the oilseed industry. Price premiums for high oleic soybeans have not been favorable in the current or previous marketing year, and area planted continues to lag behind high oleic canola. Greater production of high oleic soybeans would be needed before Canadian crushing facilities would have sufficient incentive to crush high oleic beans. At this time, high oleic soybean varieties are shipped to the United States for crushing.