Canada’s Canola may Find a Home in Europe

The Canola Council of Canada is looking to Europe as trade challenges continue with China.  Canola Council Vice-President of Public Affairs, Brian Innes, says this is the European Union’s smallest crop in 13 years because of drought and insects.  “The European Union can crush up to 25 million tons and they only produced 17 million this year.  That means an opportunity to export more canola from Canada to Europe.”  Innes says there’s been reports of more Canadian canola shipments to the E.U.  

However, they must be certified as sustainable to meet biodiesel requirements, as Innes says two thirds of all the canola that gets crushed in the European Union is used for biofuel.  He says the biggest criteria for growers is to make sure the land base has been farmed or used as pasture since 2008.