In the EU, products of various genetically modified soy bean and canola lines are approved for processing in food and feed, but not for cultivation. In the US and Canada, but also in other countries cultivation of GM soy beans and canola is allowed.

The canola seed variety as well as the variety of soy beans is modified to be resistant against the herbicide glyphosate. The plants have shown to be highly resistant: Ten years after their sowing, their offspring can still be detected on proving grounds. Since the long-term effects of this genetic modification are unpredictable, the sowing throughout Europe has not been authorised yet. This initially concerned canola, but the cultivation of soybeans is now also becoming more widespread in Europe, as is targeted promotion, also with the emphasis on being free of genetic engineering.

The cultivation of genetically modified canola and soy is connected with a discussion of its sustainability and potential negative environmental impacts, particularly with regard to the population of bees and butterflies. In 2018, researchers in the USA came to the conclusion that although the genetically modified plants do not have a direct effect on bees, the extensive cultivation of herbicide-resistant genetically modified canola has an indirect negative impact on bee habitats, as it displaces other flowering plants. They recommend establishing wildflower strips along the fields, with non-industrial flowering plants that provide bees with floral resources after pollination of the canola plants. However, researchers have also noted a decrease in the use of herbicides due to the cultivation of genetically modified canola, which also leads to a reduction in the negative effects on the environment associated with the use of herbicides. Furthermore, the unintentional spread of GM canola to non-agricultural areas poses a risk to agricultural systems as well as natural ecosystems, as researchers from South Korea found in a long-term study from 2009-2023. They emphasize the need for a post-management system for GM canola to prevent widespread dispersal.