New Plant-Breeding Techniques (NBTs) are methods allowing the development of new plant varieties with desired traits, by modifying the DNA of the seeds and plant cells. They are called ‘new’ because these techniques have only been developed in the last decade and have evolved rapidly in recent years. Moreover, as these practices are still continuously […]
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SUSTAINABILITY - 3 May 2022
NEW GENOMIC TECHNIQUES: NGOS KEEP MEDIA ATTENTION HIGH
The scientific community has welcomed the results of more than 20 years of research that led to the completion of the sequencing of human genome. The discovery corrects thousands of structural errors in the previous reference genetic material.
In the EU, NGOs (notably in Germany and Austria) are keeping the media attention high on the matter of ‘de-regulation’ of GMOs restrictions, with the German secretary of state for agriculture taking clear position to defend the status quo. Belgium, on the other hand, shows more complacent position towards NGT by allowing three new gene edited maize varieties for field trial, while in the UK field experiments have been allowed for barley varieties.
Outside the EU, India allows for derogation of biosafety assessment of two gene edited crop varieties, and in the US a field experiment aiming at reducing the population of viruses-carriers mosquitoes through modified mosquitoes has shown positive results.
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Written by Farm Europe