Squash

Market Status

2025 is the last year that GM squash could be on the market in Canada. 

A very small amount (possibly 2,500 acres) of one or more varieties of genetically modified (GM or genetically engineered) virus-resistant squash has been grown in the US. It is not legal to grow in Canada but can be imported as food.

Bayer has patents on seven GM squash varieties. In 2024, there is at least one GM squash sold in the US by Bayer: SV6009YG. Bayer/Seminis has confirmed to CBAN that it is not selling any squash for planting in 2026.

Lack of Government Transparency on GM Squash

There are two virus-resistant GM traits approved for use in squash for human consumption in Canada, however, this squash is not grown in Canada:

• “Not grown in Canada” is how the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) describes the regulatory status for growing the GM squash. What does “not grown in Canada” mean? Was the GM squash denied approval in Canada? Did the company not request approval in Canada? The CFIA “can neither confirm or deny whether the CFIA received applications for the assessment of specific products, as this is confidential business information of the developer.” Click here to read the CFIA’s response to CBAN.

The GM squash ZW20 approved for eating in Canada is genetically engineered to be resistant to the watermelon mosaic virus 2 and the zucchini yellows mosaic virus, CZW3 is also resistant to the cucumber mosaic virus.

Planting the GM squash was prohibited in the US state of Maine and in the California counties of Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and Trinity, and “Produce may be sold ONLY as fresh market produce (not for processing purposes) and ONLY for human and animal consumption in the United States and human consumption in Canada. U.S. growers may export Produce to Canada, but not to any other country, and the Produce may not be re-exported from Canada.” – Bayer’s 2025 Technology Use Guide

In March 2023, unapproved GE zucchini seeds were found in local farms in South Korea (USDA).