Plants > Biotechnology / PNTs > Molecular Farming 

CFIA Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on Plant Molecular Farming

In keeping with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) commitment to openness and transparency, the CFIA's Plant Biosafety Office (PBO) convened a multistakeholder consultation on plant molecular farming (PMF) in Ottawa from October 31 to November 2, 2001. A wide range of stakeholders were invited to participate in this consultation, representing consumers, trade groups, academics and industry that will be directly affected by this technology. The objective of this consultation was to review and develop specific guidelines for research field testing and pre-commercial release of plants with novel traits (PNTs) for PMF and to discuss procedures for Health Canada's regulatory involvement. An interim report and a final report of proceedings from this consultation are available (Please see below).

The technical questions addressed by the consultation participants were also available as a questionnaire open to the public and other direct stakeholders that could not be present at the in-person consultation. In addition, a public forum was held in Ottawa on the evening of October 30, 2001 to solicit views from the public on PMF in general. The PBO took into account input from the questionnaire, the consultation and the public forum in drafting a proposed amendment to Directive 2000-07, entitled "Conducting Confined Research Field Trials of Plants with Novel Traits in Canada", to address the additional potential risk(s) confined research field trials of PNTs intended for PMF may pose to the Canadian environment.