Canadian Flax Industry Concerned About GMO Crop in U.S.

Published by Canadian Market News, June 22, 2005

The Canadian flax industry is expressing concern about a U.S. plant-based pharmaceutical company's plans to grow genetically modified (GMO) flax crops in North Dakota, according to an official with the Flax Council of Canada.

Flax council president Barry Hall said he is worried the Canadian flaxseed crop could become contaminated as a result. Currently no GMO flax is grown in Canada. "Theoretically, it would stay in the U.S.," he said. "But the border isn't very tight. It would be easy for a seed to transfer to Canada."

Hall said contamination would have a negative impact on Canadian exports, as the European market has a tough stance on GMO crops and would not buy any Canadian flax if there were a concern that it could have mixed with a GMO crop.

"The Council admits that a genetically modified crop could be useful," he said, "but there is no indication that Europe could back-off on the issue."

Canadian flaxseed exports to Europe during the upcoming 2005-06 crop year are pegged at 500,000 to 550,000 tonnes by Chris Beckman, an oilseed analyst with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. This compares with the estimated 396,000 tonnes of domestic flax expected to be shipped into Europe in 2004-05.

The Flax Council of Canada was alerted by Ameriflax, a North Dakota flax marketing group, to the news that Agragen had leased space at the University of North Dakota with plans to use GMO flax for medicines such as albumin, which would used in blood transfusions, and a recombinant form of omega-3 fatty acids.

Ernie Hoffert, a North Dakota farmer and secretary-treasurer of Ameriflax, said the USDA has strict rules to prevent accidental mixture of GMO crops and crops used for food and feed, adding there is a three-year standard period before a crop area can be used again after being used for plant-made-pharmaceuticals. However, human error could still cause contamination despite the waiting period, he admitted.

"All you need is a bit of residue to contaminate a whole crop."