1. ~ Cami Ryan ~
University of Saskatchewan
Flax Day
“From Dialogue to Direction”
January 9, 2012

2. Funding through Saskatchewan Flax
Development Commission and
Canadian Agricultural Adaptation
Program (CAAP)
Grower Survey
Document the impact of the Triffid Flax
issue
Administered to 8000 SaskFlax members
n = 272
2

3. Background of Genetically Modified
Flax (CDC Triffid) to 2001
Triffid)
The Re-emergence of GM Flax: 2009 –
Re-
2011
Review of results from Flax Grower
Survey
Summary Thoughts…
3

4. Canada
China
US
India
4 Source: FAO Stats

5. Plant with novel traits (PNT)
Developed in the late 80s at the Crop Development
Centre / U of S)
Value of Triffid - environmental
Tolerance to soil residues of sulfonylurea-based
sulfonylurea-
herbicides
Cultivated the year after herbicide was used in fields
Alternative to continuous cropping of wheat/barley and
to summer-fallowing
summer-
5

6. Feed Approval
? Food
Food/Feed
1988 1989 1994 1996 1996/97 1997/98 1998

7. Recall and crush organized
CDC Triffid transported/crushed/destroyed
CDC Triffid deregistered
2000 2001
7

8. 16K tonnes in quarantine
July Sept Oct Testing!!!!
2009 2009 2009
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9. 9

10. Source: Viju etal 2011
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11. NPTII marker discovered
FP967 notification on RASFF
Launch of Stewardship Protocol
11 Data Source: Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture (2011)

12. Seed sources, production and sales:
70% did not change seed sources
Of the 30% that did [check all that apply]:
Bought certified from another source: 74%
Non longer used farm-saved seed:
farm- 22%
Used different farm-saved seed:
farm- 14%
19% reported reduction in sales; of those, 83% indicated
sales were reduced by 50% or more
74% sold to grain companies (2010/11)
78% of all respondents indicated that the practice of
saving farm seed has become more important
“I am worried that the right to use farm saved seed is being forced
away from the producer. It is not a large corporation ‘right’ to
be able to force these seed issues.”
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13. Testing and Stewardship:
26,000 tests conducted on over 10,000 seed lots
0.0498% of seed lots tested positive for Triffid
Widespread, very low-level presence
low-
“I think the testing for Triffid is way over-priced and inaccurate. I have sent
over-
flax samples from the same lot twice and received two results: one negative
and one positive.”
Map generated by M. St. Louis; Data sourced from Flax Council of Canada
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14. Testing and Stewardship:
Identified challenges: negative at origin does not
necessarily mean negative at destination
No guarantees:
“I don’t see the need to have flax tested in the fall for sale then the same
seed tested in the spring for seeding. That’s a total rip-off in my opinion.”
rip-
• Testing costs:
55% - $500 or less; 29% - $500 to 999$ range; 11% - over $1000
Test results:
“[The grain company] didn’t even ask to see test results – I think that
we have tested enough.”
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15. Perceptions around issue management,
communication & access to information:
Who are the primary actors?:
differentiated results
Key sources for info?
Western Producer and SaskFlax Newsletter
73% stated that there was adequate to more than
adequate amount of info
5% stated ‘not acceptable at all’
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16. Flax and future production:
63% stated that they would likely grow flax again in
same or more quantities
23% would continue to grow flax, but less of it
9% stated that they would abandon it altogether
Market volatility huge detractor
“We will only grow flax when the Triffid issue is gone
and when no testing is required before delivery.
Testing is time consuming, costly and a big hassle.”
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17. Time and other costs:
57% spent three hours or less on activities to manage on-
on-
farm Triffid issues
17% spent three to eight
25% spent a day or more
Carry-
Carry-over costs: ‘prefer not to answer’
“I feel like whoever introduced Triffid flax into the production system
should be responsible for compensating farmers for the cost &
problems incurred in production and marketing.”
“Growers did not cause this mess but have been told to clean it up!
[Expletive] ridiculous!.”
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18. Cost Category Notes
Demurrage/quarantine $12,000,000 As of September 2010 (Ryan &
Smyth 2011)
Testing costs $3,900,000 2009 to 2011 (Ryan & Smyth 2011)
Cost of segregation, other $13,185,217 2009 to 2011 (Dayananda 2011)
costs for breeders,
certified seed suppliers,
producers, grain
companies, AAFC &
SaskFlax
Total Estimated Costs $29,085,217
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19. “Market access battles will continue… A low level presence (LLP)
policy is needed… so that minute quantities of a GM crop can’t be a
barrier to trade…” Kevin Hursh, Dec/2011
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20. Costs difficult to quantify
Costs incurred on both sides of ‘the pond’ – EU and
Canada
Optimistically speaking…
Flax prices have increased
China bought up stocks during crisis
Mind you…
Russia and the Ukraine have increased production / lost
market share for Canada
Canada still needs to test / costly
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21. 21

22. Thank you!
Cami Ryan
Departments of Plant Science &
Bioresource Policy, Business and
Economics
University of Saskatchewan
Twitter me @DocCamiRyan
@DocCamiRyan
Blog: http://doccami.posterous.com/
Acknowledgements:
Linda Braun, SaskFlax
Will Hill, Flax Council of Canada
Gordon Rowland, Helen Booker, Eric
Lamb, Mike St. Louis, Stuart Smyth – U
of S
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