File photo of a wheat crop in Argentina. (Gracieross/iStock/Getty Images)

Argentina approves drought-tolerant GM wheat

Variety would need Brazil approval before going commercial

Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Argentina has become the first country in the world to approve cultivation and consumption of a genetically modified wheat variety, the country’s National Commission for Science and Technology (CONICET) announced Thursday. “This is the first approval in the world for drought-tolerant genetic transformation in wheat,” CONICET said in a statement. Argentina is the […] Read more


(Jack Dykinga photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

USDA investigates unapproved GMO wheat in Washington state

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the discovery of unapproved, genetically modified (GM) wheat plants growing in an un-planted agricultural field in Washington state. There was no evidence the wheat had entered the food supply, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement on Friday. The wheat […] Read more

Wheat being loaded onto a cargo ship in Vancouver in 2011. (File photo: Reuters/Ben Nelms)

Japan resumes Canadian wheat purchases

Reading Time: 2 minutes Tokyo | Reuters — Japan’s agriculture ministry said Friday it had resumed purchases of Canadian wheat after testing showed no imports that reached the country included grain containing a genetically modified trait discovered in Alberta last summer. Japan’s agriculture ministry said it was seeking to buy 62,957 tonnes of food-quality Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS, […] Read more


Namdaemun, the “Great Southern Gate” in the walls that once surrounded the city of Seoul. This photo was taken before a 2008 fire damaged the gate’s wooden structure, which was restored by May 2013. (CIA.gov)

South Korea lifts suspension on Canadian wheat sales

Reading Time: < 1 minute Seoul | Reuters — South Korea’s food ministry on Tuesday said it had lifted a temporary suspension on sales of Canadian wheat as it had not discovered any unapproved genetically modified strains during tests on imports. South Korea suspended sales of Canadian wheat last week after Canada announced the discovery in mid-2017 of an unapproved […] Read more

Wheat being loaded onto a cargo ship in Vancouver in 2011. (File photo: Reuters/Ben Nelms)

Wheat shipment halt seen as temporary

Reading Time: 4 minutes Wheat sales are expected to soon resume to Japan and South Korea. Both nations suspended Canadian wheat imports following the June 15 announcement that Canada had discovered several genetically modified (GM) wheat plants in southern Alberta. But both are expected to come back to the market shortly, while exports to others won’t be affected, according […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

South Korea halts sale of Canadian wheat, flour

Reading Time: < 1 minute Seoul | Reuters — South Korea has suspended the sale of wheat and flour from Canada after Canadian officials announced last week the discovery in mid-2017 of an unapproved genetically modified trait in southern Alberta. “We will only allow sale of wheat products that are confirmed not to contain unapproved genetically modified wheat,” South Korea’s […] Read more

The CFIA says no GM wheat has been found in Canada’s commercial wheat system. Photo: iStock

Unapproved glyphosate-resistant wheat found in Alberta

Reading Time: 2 minutes UPDATED, June 14, 2018, 6:55 p.m. — Genetically modified (GM) wheat — which hasn’t been approved for commercial production in Canada — has been discovered in southern Alberta, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed. The wheat of unknown origin contains a genetic modification making it resistant to a common herbicide, CFIA told reporters Thursday. […] Read more