EU Researchers and Farmers Call on Members of Parliament to Embrace NGTs

A new video released by the American Seed Trade Association features experts from across the agricultural supply chain on the transformative potential of new genomic techniques (NGTs). The experts said that Members of the European Union Parliament (MEPs) need to act and embrace NGTs for the good of European farmers, global food systems, and the planet.

The video underscores how NGTs such as CRISPR boost plant breeding by enabling efficient, more precise development of crops with desirable characteristics such as drought tolerance and disease resistance. These innovations are crucial, considering the increasing demand for sustainable, climate-resilient crops. Key insights from the video include:

• Efficiency and precision: Genomic techniques allow targeted, budget-friendly modifications that can introduce characteristics in crops within 5 to 7 years, compared to conventional breeding methods, which can take decades.
• Food security and climate resilience: As farmers face increasing challenges from extreme weather and demands for more sustainable farming practice, NGTs enable improved plant varieties to adapt quickly to the realities of climate change, ensuring stable crop yields and contributing to global food security.
• Barriers to access: Many EU farmers want improved varieties enabled by NGTs and are unable to access them due to current EU regulations.

In light of the EU's ongoing discussions around the use of NGTs, the video serves as a timely resource for policymakers, researchers, and farmers in Europe to embrace the adoption of these innovative technologies, which are essential for both the United States and Europe's agricultural sustainability and food production.

The featured experts include Patricija Gran, Researcher at Wageningen University Plant Research; Gary Rudgers, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at J.R. Simplot Company; Ying Shao, CEO of Plantik Biosciences; Dr. Leena Tripathi, Director of the Eastern Africa Hub at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Thor Gunnar Kofoed, Farmer and Vice-President of the Danish Agriculture & Food Council; and Tiberiu Dan Stan, Farmer and Vice-President of the Romanian Corn Producers Association.

For more details, read the news release from ASTA.