Your correspondence to the Honourable Chuck Strahl - QTE 400774
 From: "Labelle, Lise" <labellel@agr.gc.ca>
 To: crowinc@mts.net
 
Please find enclosed a reply to your correspondence

                                                                                                Quote: 400774

 
Ms. Glenda Whiteman

crowinc@mts.net

  

Dear Ms. Whiteman:

I am writing in response to your correspondence to the Right Honourable Stephen Harper concerning genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs). As you know, the Prime Minister*s Office forwarded a copy of your letter to the Honourable Chuck Strahl for consideration. The Minister appreciates being made aware of your concerns and has asked me to convey the following to you. I apologize for the delay in this reply.

Canada's success in agriculture has long depended on the sector's ability to adapt to a changing marketplace by using new technologies to help decrease production costs and to increase the range of products available to meet new consumer demands, at home and abroad. Innovation has helped Canada to be successful in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, and has led to unique products for which Canada has been able to develop promising new markets.

 Because all new technologies such as GURTs have the potential to affect the agriculture sector, Canada's stringent regulatory review and approval process requires that they be assessed. This process requires that plants with novel traits, including those that are GURT-based varieties, be subjected to strict environmental safety, livestock feed safety, and food safety assessments. 

It is important to note that, at this time, the Government of Canada has not received any applications for new plant varieties incorporating GURTs. Plants with GURT traits have neither been planted in field trials nor been commercialized in Canada.

                                                                                                                                                      .../2

Ms. Glenda Whiteman                                                                                                                Page 2

 
Canada supports a science-based approach to the introduction of new technologies such as GURTs. No use will be made of GURTs in Canada until such technologies have been demonstrated to be safe for humans, animals, and the environment. This is consistent with the position taken at the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, held in Brazil in March 2006.

 To learn more about the regulation of plants with novel traits, and about GURTs, you may wish to access the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's website at www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/pbobbve.shtml <http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/gurtse.shtml> .

 Thank you for writing with your concerns on this matter.

 Sincerely,

  Christine Bakke

Policy Advisor

  
 
Lise Labelle

Services de correspondance et dossiers ministériels / Ministerial Correspondence and Records Office

930 Édifice Sir John Carling/ 930 Sir John Carling Building

Pièce 851M / Room 851M

Ottawa, Ontario   K1A 0C5

Téléphone/Phone (613) 759-1067   Fax: (613) 759-1081

labellel@agr.gc.ca