John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
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John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
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Topics: Agriculture Global, Beekeeping, Research, Pollinators,

06/23/2022 SOURCE: geneticliteracyproject.org

Pressure mounts on EU and NZ to review their strict anti-GMO policies

Two anti-GMO stalwarts — the European Union (EU) and New Zealand — are showing signs of softening their stance toward the technology in the face of climate change impacts and pressure to innovate. Regulators and others in the EU and NZ are advising that existing regulations are out of date and fail to reflect recent advances in the technology, particularly the potential of new tools like gene editing. They say regulatory revisions may be required to reduce carbon emissions and ensure food production remains competitive. Any policy shifts in New Zealand and the EU are expected to have far-reaching effects on farmers, scientists and consumers in both jurisdictions, as well as trading partners and the rest of the world. Gene editing would revolutionize breeding programs in New Zealand, a particularly useful dividend for a country where plant-based commodities account for around half of the export earnings. Genetic engineering has also been fronted as a solution for the increased threat from pests and diseases, such as those afflicting the valuable kiwifruit and forestry industries. The technology could also be used to confer desirable traits on some of the country’s important export plant species.“ Gene editing offers the potential to produce a step change in NZ primary industry productivity, biosecurity and speed of innovation. This is particularly the case for perennial crops with slow or complex breeding cycles that are a feature of NZ’s plant-based exports,” notes a study published in the online journal Frontiers in Plant Science.

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Matt Brechwald is the world's most prolific agricultural podcaster. Consistently podcasting since 2014 Matt has hosted well over 1,000 podcasts about agriculture and conducted hundreds of radio interviews as well. From his farm in Kuna, Idaho, Matt has developed the term "Off-Farm Income" into a multi-national brand.