Selective breeding is helpful to get ~1% increase in growth rate per year. Given we use biotechnology to enhance natural processes, we haven't seen the same pushback as if we had added a completely new trait in plants that doesn't occur naturally. When it comes to enhancing our seedlings with microbes for secondary metabolic pathways, additional nutrient fixation or finding specific varieties of trees that preform well in a localized region, we are using methods like selective breeding.
They do not meet the USDA definition of GMO but FSC is a different story. FSC right now is quite exclusionary and so we are not eligible for FSC certification. I do think that FSC certification is quite challenging for most family foresters to obtain given the price and other challenging criteria. FSC is set up to be easy for large timber companies to obtain but harder for family foresters. Given the work that is being done with the American chestnut and other advances in forest biotechnology, our hope is that FSC will update their definition along the lines of what other certifying bodies like the Tree System and SFI certification organizations have done.
How and why we have genetically enhanced our seedlings matter a lot. we only include genes from other plants and don't use any genes known to increase plant pet risk or weediness. we have confirmation that we do not require further deregulation by USDA.
