The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) supports the Government of Canada for joining the dispute settlement consultation with Mexico on agricultural biotechnology. The consultation was initiated last week by the United States under the Canada-United States-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA), and Canada joined today as a third party.
There have been challenges to regulatory predictability in Mexico over the last few years. Regulatory approaches not grounded in sound science risk stifling access to innovations that farmers need to contribute to food security challenges, address climate related production issues, and remain competitive and profitable.
“To continue to serve the Mexican market and other key export markets, it is essential that Canada’s trading partners support and implement science-based regulatory systems that enable getting innovations, including products of agricultural biotechnology, authorized and approved and into the hands of Canadian canola growers,” says Jim Everson, CCC president.
While there have been some positive signals from Mexico recently, more formal and substantive assurance is required to provide clarity and certainty about the regulatory approach moving forward. Without that, there is concern that similar issues could arise in the future and precedence established for approaches not based on science.