TOPIC(S): Animal Welfare/Humane Treatment, Pork/Swine/Pig/Hog, Animal Health,
Team AgWiki Team AgWiki
shared this 2 article 4 years ago
TOPIC(S): Commodities, Agriculture US,
TOPIC(S): Beef Cattle, Ranching, Ag North America, Consumer/Retail,
Team AgWiki Team AgWiki
shared this 2 article 4 years ago
John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this 2 article 4 years ago
Topics: Agriculture US, Crop Consultant, Economics, Sustainability, Beef Cattle, Weather,
John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this 2 article 4 years ago
Topics: Ag India, Ag Innovation, World Hunger, World Population, Coronavirus/COVID, Education,
Nancy Kavazanjian Nancy Kavazanjian
shared this 2 article 4 years ago
Topics: Education U.S. NorthEast, Education U.S. SouthEast, Education U.S. MidWest, USDA,
John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this 2 article 4 years ago
Topics: Agriculture Global, Economics, Sustainability, GMO's, Research, Ag Europe, Genes /Genetics, World Hunger, Weather,

Ethics report brings EU closer to decision on gene editing in agriculture

Using genome editing technologies in plants could help the EU ensure food security and reduce the impact of current agriculture practice on the climate, according to new report by the European Group on Ethics in science and new technologies (EGE). Allowing gene editing for precision breeding would help the EU achieve goals stated in its Farm to Fork strategy, of reducing use of fertilisers by 30 per cent and turning 25% of agricultural land over to organic farming by 2030. “There is a need to ensure food security, provide renewable resources for fuel, feed and fibre, safeguard the retention of biodiversity and protect the environment,” the report says. “Current forms of agriculture contribute significantly to the anthropogenic climate crisis.” The ethicists also call for broader and more inclusive societal debate on genome editing, for better monitoring of regulatory and scientific developments in the field, and moves to establish a system of global governance of gene editing technologies. EGE looked at the impact of gene editing in humans, animals and plants, concluding that in agriculture, the EU should speed up its adoption for plant breeding, to keep up with international competition and support food production. Gene editing of plants is comparable to current breeding techniques that use radiation or chemicals to genetically manipulate seeds, or to what can be achieved by the natural, but laborious process of crossing different cultivars. According to the Euroseeds association, the regulation of genome editing that is comparable to conventional methods should be proportional to the risk - and light in touch. Petra Jorasch, manager of plant breeding innovation advocacy at Euroseeds, said without improvements in plant breeding, Farm to Fork will reduce agricultural productivity. “If you take [pesticides and fertilisers] from farmers, you need some kind of innovation to compensate,” she said. Catching up with the rest of the world Precision breeding of plants through gene editing cannot b...

Read More

Advertisement

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.