Regulating the environmental release of stacked plant products in Canada

Before a plant with novel trait (PNT) can be grown in the Canadian environment, the developer must notify the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Plant Biosafety Office (PBO) and receive an explicit authorization. A decision to authorize a PNT is based on a rigorous, science-based environmental safety assessment (food safety and feed safety assessments are also required, depending on the plant's intended use).

See the list of authorized plants with novel traits

The authorization of a PNT for unconfined environmental release includes a permission to cross the PNT with other plants to develop new varieties. This way, plant breeders are free to introduce a novel trait into different varieties of a crop that are adapted to meet the needs of farmers.

Authorized PNTs can also be combined with each other through breeding. This is referred to as a stack. Many stacked products do not require further assessment of their environmental safety. However, the PBO requires notification of all stacked products before they are introduced into the marketplace.

These notifications are required so that regulators may determine if:

• any conditions of authorization placed on the parental PNTs are compatible and appropriate for the stacked plant product
• any additional information is required to assess the safety of the stacked plant product

Additional information and further assessment will be required if:

• the conditions of authorization of the parental PNTs would not apply to the stack (for example, a product developer is applying for alterations to stewardship requirements, or the conditions described in the stewardship plans of parental PNTs are no longer effective for the stack)
• the novel traits of the parental PNTs are expressed differently in the stacked plant product (for example greater or lower expression)
• the stacked product expresses an additional novel trait

Stacked plant products authorized for unconfined release into the Canadian environment

Additional stacks may be authorized in Canada but not yet listed in this table. Information about products not on the market may be withheld temporarily for reasons of business competitiveness, if requested in writing by the proponent.