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Workshop on Ornamental Plants with Novel Traits

On February 17-18, 2005, the Plant Biosafety Office (PBO) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) hosted a workshop to discuss the requirements for the environmental release of ornamental plants with novel traits (PNTs).  Participants at the workshop included representatives from industry associations, ornamental plant breeders, botanical gardens, greenhouse and nursery operations, provincial and federal government bodies.  This workshop was a preliminary step in developing a pragmatic framework for regulating ornamental PNTs within Canada.

The workshop was organized in response to the recommendations made by the office of the Auditor General in the March 2004 report on the Regulation of Plants with Novel Traits. The audit focussed on the processes that the CFIA has in place to ensure that it was meeting its environmental responsibilities with respect to the regulation of PNTs. The recommendations included:

• The CFIA should more formally and more systematically identify the environmental safety issues related to the environmental release of ornamental PNTs;
• The CFIA should develop appropriate approaches for its assessment and regulation of environmental releases of ornamental PNTs;
• The CFIA should enhance its efforts to educate the Canadian ornamental industry of their responsibilities under the Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations Part V.

The workshop allowed stakeholders and government officials to exchange information on current regulatory requirements for ornamental PNTs and the current procedures for the importation and environmental release of ornamental plants within Canada.  The objectives of the workshop were:

1. To raise awareness among importers and plant breeders of ornamental plants on the current domestic regulations for PNTs;
2. To raise awareness and collectively discuss criteria/information that could be used to determine when regulatory oversight for ornamental plants is required;
3. To raise awareness among regulators about the nature and complexity of the ornamental industry.
4. To develop next steps for the development of appropriate regulatory guidance.

• Summary of Workshop Proceedings on Ornamental Plants with Novel Traits

• Workshop Proceedings - Workshop on Ornamental Plants with Novel Traits