Permission for gene-edited plants that don’t introduce foreign DNA, has just passed in the EU closing a competitive gap with jurisdictions that have moved earlier embracing crop varieties that are more climate and pest resistant, yield more and produce or need fewer chemicals. Lincoln University’s Chris Winefield.is hopeful this news will encourage a similar view when considering New Zealand’s imminent Gene Technology Bill
Image credit: John Innes Centre
“It is pleasing to see that the EU, which holds a similar strict view of the risk assessment of GM technologies to New Zealand, are going to treat genome-edited plants that possess alterations indistinguishable from those generated by standard breeding approaches as equivalent to breeding-derived plant lines, “ says Winefield, an Associate Professor in Plant Genomics and Molecular Biology, Lincoln University, comments
“I am hopeful that this will encourage Parliamentarians to adopt a similar view when considering the Gene Technology Bill. If one of the toughest regulatory regimes for GM outside of New Zealand has duly considered the risks and benefits of such approaches and, on balance, has come to the view that this technology produces plants that are of no greater risk than traditional breeding approaches, it is hard to see how Parliament can rationally justify the continued restriction of these technologies.
“It is very likely that once these changes are enacted, EU companies will rapidly deploy plants with a range of enhanced characteristics. The headline targets would be plants with higher yields, with greater nutritional value, with lower requirements for water, fertiliser, and chemical protection.
“This will mean we will struggle to compete economically in these markets as, without a similar change in stance in New Zealand, we will be forced to continue to use genetically and productively inferior plant lines.
No argument from Dr Revel Drummond, a Molecular Biologist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, who says It will bring the EU in line with the many other systems for gene technology regulation around the globe.
“The new rules allow for three levels of regulation, NGT-1, NGT-2 and GMO. Each level will have different requirements before plants can be released into the field and onto the plate. NGT-1 plants are those made using simple gene editing techniques but also include cisgenic plants. Dr Drummind says.
“NGT-2 plants have complex gene edits and GMO plants will contain transgenes. This system of regulatory tiers is very similar to what is proposed by the Gene Technology Bill that is being considered by the New Zealand government. Indeed, the tiers even include the same types of gene editing with approximately the same level of control, although in New Zealand it seems cisgenic plants may be considered GMOs.
