This presentation documents the rise and fall (trade and industry costs) of Triffid, a genetically modified flax variety that was approved for food and feed approval in two countries.

1. ~ Cami Ryan ~
Total Utilization of Flax Genomics
(TUFGEN)
University of Saskatchewan
VALGEN, Vancouver
March 2012

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3. Act I
Triffid Flax
Act II
Triffid’s Demise
Act III
The Resurrection of Triffid
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5. Canada
China
US
India
5 Source: FAO Stats

6. O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention, [this Triffid],
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Henry V, Act I
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7. Feed Approval
Food
Food/Feed
1988 1989 1994 1996 1996/97 1998

8. ‘Tis a vile thing to die, my gracious lord,
When men are unprepared [for consumers’ response to GM]
and look not for it.
- Richard III, Act III -
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9. Recall and crush organized
CDC Triffid transported/crushed/destroyed
CDC Triffid deregistered
2000 2001
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10. What may this mean
That thou, dead [Triffid] corse, again, in complete steel,
Revisit'st thus …
- Hamlet, Act I -
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11. 16K tonnes in quarantine
July Sept Oct Testing!!!!
2009 2009 2009
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13. NPTII marker discovered
FP967 notification on RASFF
Launch of Stewardship Protocol
13 Data Source: Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture (2011)

14. Source: Viju etal 2011
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15.  Canada:  EU:
$30,000,000 (CDN) $52,000,000 (CDN)
> $80,000,000
(calculations based on: Ryan & Smyth 2011; Dayananda 2011) ; (COCERAL Report 2011)
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18. “…often gain quick acceptance …and on
occasion they do have direct impacts on
government policy...”
Paarlberg and Pray (2008)
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20. S. Somers on GM Foods: “fake” and
"loaded with toxins, chemicals”
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21. “GMO health risks and their impact on
our most precious resource - our children”
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23. Klaus Ammann

24. Questions? Comments?
Cami Ryan
Departments of Plant Science & Bioresource Policy, Business and Economics
University of Saskatchewan
Twitter me @DocCamiRyan
Blog: http://doccamiryan.wordpress.com/
Acknowledgements:
Stuart Smyth
TUFGEN team
VALGEN
SaskFlax
Flax Council of Canada
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