World Grain - April 2023 - 26

FEATURE: DOES GM WHEAT HAVE A FUTURE IN US?
Agricultural Service and the Office of the US Trade
Representatives in the framework; a full reorganization
of the FDA; and a periodic review of the framework
every five years at minimum.
Destabilized by war
Increased grain market stability that expanded authorization
and production of GM wheat could have heightened
importance in the wake of market disruption over the past
year due to a military conflict between the top global wheat
exporter by volume, Russia, and neighboring Ukraine, the
world's fifth largest wheat exporter by volume.
When the FDA concluded its appraisal of HB4 in
2022, US Wheat and NAWG in a joint statement said,
" With global demand for wheat increasing every year,
the need to produce more wheat in sustainable ways is
clear. Drought had already reduced world wheat supplies
and pushed prices higher before the invasion of Ukraine
cut off supplies from the world's fifth largest wheat exporting
nation. A trait such as drought tolerance in wheat
could help wheat growers in increasingly arid regions be
more productive and ease food security concerns. "
Misinformation proliferation
Genetically modified crops always have had their detractors.
But GM soybeans and corn, being largely used
BASF announcement
shocks wheat industry
With global wheat supplies tightening
due to climate change and the
war between Russia and Ukraine,
finding ways to maximize wheat
yields and produce drought- and
disease-resistant seed has never
been more important. That's why
BASF's announcement on Feb. 28
that it would cease its activities in
hybrid wheat seed development in
North America was met with disappointment
by US and Canadian
wheat growers and processors.
BASF Plant Science, a subsidiary
of the Germany-based chemical
company BASF, had been working
to develop hybrid wheat seed in
various parts of the world, including
North America. But BASF in
February said it would be cutting
2,600 jobs due to rising costs and
weak earnings, including its North
26
for feed and being crushed for extraction when used for
human consumption, were able to get a foothold in the
United States, whereas wheat is mostly for food use
and is ground directly for flour. The preponderance of
scientific evidence points to GM crops being safe for
human consumption, but resistance remains fierce in
certain markets, especially Western Europe and Asia.
Knowing that, wheat producers impressed by technology
that boosts crop production in drought conditions
may continue to resist it for fear the crop will be
unmarketable.
International markets and domestic flour customers
are the roadblock for now, Siemer said.
" It's close to 30 years after genetic modification was
first used in products going on the market, and there's
been only the smallest amount of progress in wheat, "
he said. " Most people just threw it up and said, 'Look,
the Japanese will never buy another bushel from us if
we start selling GM wheat.' Every customer we've got
has a letter from us on file saying that we can assure
them that there is not genetically modified material in
our flour except for adventitious presence such as a few
traces of soybean residue. "
Milling conventional wheat at certain mills and GM
wheat at separate locations would be " a very painful
situation, " he said.
American hybrid wheat developers.
It said it would continue its development
programs in Europe and other
countries. In a letter to stakeholders,
BASF said " despite the tremendous
efforts of our team of experts, the
results of our North American trials
have not achieved the development
goals we set to meet the needs of
growers in Canada and the US. "
Although it lagged China-based
rival Syngenta in terms of getting
the seed to market, BASF was seen
a key player in the effort to develop
hybrid wheat seed. The announcement
caught BASF's stakeholders
and even its competitors off guard.
Jane DeMarchi, president of
the North American Millers' Association,
said the news was disappointing
to NAMA members " who
welcome any investment in wheat
research and variety development. "
" Hybrid wheat represents a technological
breakthrough for wheat, "
she said. " Potentially, it can offer
higher yields and better stability
and disease resistance, among other
things. It is a complicated technology
in the sense that creating
this seed economically has been a
barrier. "
The good news for those in the
wheat value chain is that Syngenta
remains in the North America marketplace
and is closer to having a
commercially viable product than
its competitors. Paul Morano, head
of North American cereals for Syngenta,
said the competition with
BASF and other companies working
to develop hybrid wheat varieties
helps drive the sector forward.
" It sounds ridiculous to say this,
but we'd prefer someone else be
in that market, because it gives you
people you can bounce things off of
and gives confidence to the market
that this is a viable product. We believe
strongly that it is, " he said.
April 2023 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - April 2023

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