Workshop on Turfgrass Plants with Novel Traits

On November 21-22, 2006, the Plant Biosafety Office (PBO) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) hosted a workshop to discuss the requirements for the environmental release of turfgrass plants with novel traits. Participants at the workshop included representatives from industry associations, plant breeders, university researchers and nursery operations, provincial and federal government bodies. This workshop was the third step in developing a pragmatic framework for regulating ornamental plants with novel traits (PNTs) within Canada.

The workshop was organized in response to the recommendations made by the Office of the Auditor General in the March 2004 report on the Regulation of Plants with Novel Traits. The audit focussed on the processes that the CFIA has in place to ensure that it was meeting its environmental responsibilities with respect to the regulation of PNT. The recommendations included:

• The CFIA should more formally and more systematically identify the environmental safety issues related to the environmental release of ornamental PNT;
• The CFIA should develop appropriate approaches for its assessment and regulation of environmental releases of ornamental PNT;
• The CFIA should enhance its efforts to educate the Canadian ornamental industry of their responsibilities under the Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations Part V.

The workshop allowed stakeholders and CFIA regulators to exchange information on current regulatory requirements for turfgrass plants with novel traits and the current procedures for the importation and environmental release of turfgrass plants within Canada. The objectives of the workshop were:

1. For the PBO to understand the key relevant issues facing the Canadian turfgrass industry regarding the environmental release of PNT;
2. For turfgrass importers and breeders to understand how the Canadian PNT regulatory system might apply to their work;
3. To identify the aspects of the PBO's regulatory process that work/could work for the turfgrass industry, as well as the challenges that the regulatory process poses;
4. To collect suggestions from turfgrass breeders and importers for the PBO to use in adapting the PNT regulatory process to the turfgrass industry.

Background Documents

• Straight Drive or Dog Leg Left? What is the Least Intrusive & Most Effective Way to Regulate Turfgrass Plants with Novel Traits?

Summary Documents

• Report of the Workshop on: Turfgrass Plants with Novel Traits
• Summary Version - Turfgrass Plants with Novel Traits