Jan. 16, 2004 – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has decided to stop development of genetically modified "RoundUp Ready" wheat, despite an investment of $500,000 (CAN) and seven years of work, according to an AgCan spokesman. AgCan, Canada's federal agriculture ministry, had been collaborating with U.S.-based biotechnology heavyweight Monsanto to develop and field test the GE wheat. But according to the Canadian Press, the department is now abandoning those efforts, citing concerns about the marketability of the wheat.
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RoundUp Ready wheat was created by genetically modifying western red spring wheat to make it resistant to the herbicide RoundUp, which is also manufactured by Monsanto. According the Candian Press, many countries have been reluctant to embrace genetically engineered foods, and there are concerns that the new RoundUp Ready wheat plants could turn into superweeds.
AgCan spokesman Richard Bole told the Canadian Press, "There's still some testing going on that does involve our scientists . . . but Ag Canada is not contributing more funds toward it."
Wheat is Canada's leading agricultural product, and the Canadian Wheat Board says that the country’s exports account for 20 percent of the world market share in wheat.
No other country has approved the commercialization of GE wheat, and despite Canada’s wide-spread use of genetically modified canola, the country’s farmers have for the most part been strongly opposed to the commercialization of GE wheat because of market concerns. Most of the 70 countries which buy Canadian wheat exports have said they won't buy the product. Producers have pointed to a University of Saskatchewan study which demonstrated that the wheat could contaminate non-GE wheat fields, which means that growing even a small amount of RoundUp Ready could jeopardize a large part of the Canadian market.
When Monsanto submitted an application for approval of the wheat to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in December of 2002, it prompted the Canadian Wheat Board to partner with advocacy organizations such as the Council of Canadians and Greenpeace, despite being traditionally at odds with such groups. The groups unsuccessfully called on Monsanto to withdraw its application.
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According to Bole, Monsanto invested $1.3 million (CAN) into the project with AgCan. The company says that the purpose of the partnership has been achieved, and so there is no reason to extend it. Monsanto is reportedly still eager to commercialize GE wheat in Canada despite AgCan's withdrawal, although the company says it will not do anything to jeopardize the Canadian wheat industry.
