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Plants > Biotechnology / PNTs > Molecular Farming PLANT MOLECULAR FARMINGWhat is plant molecular farming?Plant molecular farming is the growing of plants in agriculture to produce pharmaceutical or industrial compounds instead of food, feed, or fibre. The possibilities range from the manufacture of medical products, such as pharmaceuticals (drugs) and vaccines, to the production of products like biodegradable plastics and industrial chemicals. An example: interleukin in tobaccoTobacco is a non-food plant that can be used in the ways mentioned above. With its high growth rate, tobacco could be used to produce pharmaceuticals and other products. Tobacco has been experimentally modified to produce antibiotics, a dental treatment, and anti-cancer drugs. Tobacco lines modified to produce pharmaceutical compounds, such as interleukin (a potential treatment for Crohn's disease), have been tested in confined research field trials in Canada. Other examplesSome other examples of products being experimentally developed through plant molecular farming include:
What is the status of plant molecular farming in Canada?At this time in Canada, no plants for molecular farming have been approved for commercial field production. Some organizations have been doing research on plants with novel traits (PNTs) for molecular farming in laboratories and greenhouses, as well as for a limited number of approved confined research field trials. Potential human health and environmental impacts may be greater for plant molecular farming than for other PNTs (such as herbicide-tolerant or insect-resistant plants). Compounds from plants developed for plant molecular farming purposes may have physiological effects on humans and other organisms. While all assessments of PNTs consider the following factors, their potential impacts are of particular importance when assessing PNTs used in plant molecular farming:
How is the CFIA addressing potential impacts of molecular farming?Confined Research Field Trials In Canada, plant molecular farming is limited to confined research field trials. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is taking steps to develop rules specific to plant molecular farming. So that it will be able to meet the challenges of this new technology, the CFIA's Plant Biosafety Office held consultations to update its directive Directive 2000-07 (Dir2000-07): Conducting Confined Research Field Trials of Plants with Novel Traits in Canada. A multi-stakeholder technical consultation on plant molecular farming was held in Ottawa in late 2001. Participants included public interest groups, agriculture and agribusiness, industry, academia, and various departments and agencies from different levels of government. The questionnaire used in that consultation was made available on-line to give Canadians the opportunity to comment. In addition, a public forum was held to hear the public's views on plant molecular farming. All of this input helped to address the factors listed above. After these consultations, Directive 2000-07 was updated. These changes can be found under "Interim Amendment to Dir2000-07 for Confined Research Field Trials of PNTs for Plant Molecular Farming" . Some additional requirements for confined research field trials for plant molecular farming include:
Commercial Release In Canada, there has been no commercial production of PNTs for plant molecular farming. This means that these plants are still in the confined research field trial stage under CFIA oversight and cannot be released into the environment for commercial purposes. The Government of Canada is investigating policy options for commercial plant molecular farming. To this end, the CFIA is developing appropriate rules for commercial release of these plants. More information can be found in the Plant Biosafety Office's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on plant molecular farming. |
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