GT200

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GT200 is genetically engineered canola (rapeseed) that has had its DNA modified to withstand the herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide Roundup).

History

1997: Deregulation in Canada

Health Canada deregulated GT200 on September 12, 1997.[1] At the time, Canada was the world's third largest producer of rapeseed (canola is a variety of rapeseed), behind China and India. Canada produced 6,657,900 metric tons of rapeseed in 1997, compared to only 415,640 produced by the U.S. that year.[2]

2003: Deregulation in the U.S.

On November 20, 2001, Monsanto submitted a petition to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for an extension of the deregulation of GT73 to GT200. On February 28, 2002, APHIS published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that the Monsanto petition was available for public review and soliciting public comments, due on or before April 1, 2002. The USDA conducted an environmental assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and issued a "finding of no significant impact" (FONSI). GT200 was deregulated on January 3, 2003.

"Like the antecedent organism [GT73], canola event GT200 has been genetically engineered to express an enzyme, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), from Agrobacterium sp. strain CP4, and the glyphosate oxidoreductase (GOX) gene/protein from Ochrobactrum anthropi strain LBAA, both of which impart tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate. The subject canola and the antecedent organism were produced through the use of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens method to transform the parental canola variety Westar. Expression of the added genes in GT200 and the antecedent organism is controlled in part by gene sequences derived from the plant pathogen figwort mosaic virus."[3]

Controversies

See the section on Controversies in the article on Roundup Ready Crops.

Articles and resources

Related SourceWatch articles

References

  1. Novel Food Decisions - Approvals, Health Canada, Accessed August 13, 2012.
  2. FAOSTAT, Accessed August 13, 2012.
  3. Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 232, December 3, 2002.

External resources

External articles