18:56 19 April 2024
Genomic Techniques Can Make European Agriculture Resistant to Climate Change
Plants bred with genomic technologies (NTG) are more resistant to droughts and diseases and require fewer fertilizers and pesticides to grow. The European Commission notes that NTG can, among other things, enhance the resilience of the food system to climate change. Currently, all plants obtained in this way are subject to the same strict regulations as GMOs. Therefore, last year, the EC proposed a new regulation concerning plants obtained through genomic techniques. In February of this year, the European Parliament agreed to it, paving the way for negotiations to begin with the governments of EU member states in the Council. Many member states, including Poland, have concerns about NGT patents remaining in the hands of global corporations, which could harm the position of European breeders.
“EU has been working on the regulations for the implementation of genomic techniques for some time, with draft solutions and regulations already appearing, to which member states, including Poland, have responded, although Poland has not yet issued a positive recommendation. However, today the legal status is basically that the whole discussion and future regulations still have an undefined shape, and that lies ahead of us,” Witold Boguta, president of the National Union of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Groups, said.
(Newseria)
