The United States has Given the Green Light to GM Wheat

Sep 03, 2024

Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp. has just achieved a major milestone with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) giving the green light to its HB4 wheat technology.

The USDA’s favourable Regulatory Status Review (RSR), conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), has determined that HB4 wheat does not pose any increased plant pest risk compared to conventional wheat. This ruling effectively clears the path for HB4 wheat production in the United States, which ranks as the fourth largest wheat producer globally and the largest in the Americas.

This USDA approval is a significant addition to the HB4 wheat platform, which had already received a nod from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food and feed use. The U.S. now joins Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay as the latest country to approve the production of HB4 wheat.

Beyond these regions, the technology has been authorized for food and feed use in countries including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria, and Indonesia. Australia, a key wheat-producing nation facing growing water shortages, recently granted Bioceres a license to conduct field trials — an essential step towards future production.

Bioceres will share more details on its HB4 wheat platform during its upcoming Earnings Call on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 8:30 a.m. ET. This USDA approval could mark a pivotal moment for Bioceres as it seeks to solidify its presence in the global wheat market while addressing pressing agricultural challenges like drought tolerance and food security.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?