Are plants used for molecular farming safe for the environment?
PNTs for molecular farming raise additional concerns compared to PNTs for food, feed or fibre because their products may affect the physiology of humans, animals, or any wildlife that may accidentally ingest them. CFIA evaluators carefully and thoroughly assess the potential impacts of all plants with novel traits including those used for molecular farming, before these products are approved for either confined research field trials or for unconfined environmental release. This assessment considers potential impacts of the PNT on wildlife and other non-target organisms. PNTs may be considered unsafe for the environment if the novel trait makes the plant more likely to persist as a weed in non-agricultural habitats. When the novel trait is production of molecular farming product, no increase in weediness is expected. PNTs may also be considered unsafe for the environment if the novel trait can be transferred to other plants of the same or related species. A number of mechanisms such as
