Would you eat genetically modified food?

Hello Flatlanders,

In this edition, we’re diving into the topic of genetically modified (GM) food, made up of crops or organisms whose genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally through traditional breeding methods.

I knew GM food existed, but I had never considered whether it was in the food I ate until I researched it. And guess what? We’re all probably eating some form of GM food.

In the summer, all those yellow canola fields we see while driving down the highways of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are GM plants, even the wild canola we see growing in ditches.

The modified canola crossbred with the natural varieties and outcompeted them.

GM corn, soy and sugar beets are also making their way into our foods. One of these GM plant species has become a living pesticide.

Why don’t we, as consumers, know this?

Canada doesn’t require GM foods to be labelled because it deems these foods to be as safe and nutritious as non-GM foods.

Generally, crops are modified to be resistant to insects and pesticides.

Gene editing

Genetically modification can involve genetic engineering, where scientists introduce foreign genes into an organism to achieve specific traits or characteristics.

But there is also gene editing, where the DNA within a plant’s genome can be changed without introducing foreign genes.

Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 allow scientists to target and edit specific gene sequences to modify existing traits or the correction of genetic defects.

Some of the possible benefits that scientists are looking into at the University of Saskatchewan are how to use gene editing to make drought-resistant crops and how to create plants that can sequester more carbon.

This week, freelance writer Delaney Seiferling looks at how gene editing is being regulated in Canada and how some people think it could benefit us while others say more caution and transparency are needed.

It’s like science fiction, but it’s happening right in our backyard.

You can read Delaney’s article here.

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