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Can new genomic techniques make European agriculture more sustainable? Europe is seeking to modernize its agriculture to address environmental and food challenges. A recent regulatory proposal aims to frame plants developed using innovative genomic techniques. These methods allow for targeted modifications in the DNA of plants, without introducing foreign DNA, unlike traditional approaches. They offer the possibility of obtaining crops that are more resistant to diseases, more productive, and better adapted to climate change.<\/p>\n
These techniques could play a key role in reducing the use of chemical pesticides. Studies show that genetically improved crops have enabled a reduction in the application of insecticides and herbicides, while increasing yields and farmers’ revenues. For example, certain herbicide-resistant rapeseed varieties reduced the environmental impact of their production by nearly 60% between 1995 and 2006. However, the effects on biodiversity and human health remain variable depending on the regions and types of crops.<\/p>\n
The European proposal introduces two categories of plants resulting from these techniques. The first group includes those whose modifications could occur naturally or through classical selection. These plants would be exempt from the strict rules applied to genetically modified organisms, after a simple verification. The second category, on the other hand, would remain subject to a tailored risk assessment, although less stringent than for traditional GMOs. This distinction aims to accelerate innovation while maintaining a high level of safety.<\/p>\n
The adoption of these techniques could also strengthen the fight against invasive species, a major issue for food security and biodiversity. Invasive alien species cause considerable damage to ecosystems and are costly in terms of prevention and management. New pest-resistant varieties could limit the use of pesticides, often applied preventively, and thus reduce risks to the environment and health.<\/p>\n
Low-risk pesticides, such as biological products or plant extracts, are gaining popularity, but their market share remains modest. Their development is hindered by long and costly regulatory procedures, which discourage investment. The new regulation could facilitate their adoption by simplifying authorization processes for improved plants, while maintaining guarantees for consumers.<\/p>\n
The potential benefits of these innovations are not limited to the environment. They could also improve farm profitability by reducing production costs and limiting crop losses. Crops that are more resistant to diseases and extreme climatic conditions would enable farmers to better cope with uncertainties. Additionally, the nutritional enrichment of food, such as the addition of essential micronutrients, could contribute to better public health, particularly in regions where nutritional deficiencies are common.<\/p>\n
Europe is banking on these advances to achieve the goals of its Green Deal, which aims for more sustainable food, a reduction in pesticides, and better protection of biodiversity. However, the success of this regulation will depend on its practical implementation. Labels, traceability, and coexistence measures between conventional and improved crops will need to be well thought out to avoid additional costs and market tensions.<\/p>\n
New genomic techniques could also diversify the tools available to farmers. By combining these innovations with other approaches, such as biocontrol or precision agriculture, Europe could strengthen the resilience of its food system. This would meet the growing consumer expectations for transparency and sustainability, while maintaining the competitiveness of its agriculture against other major global agricultural powers.<\/p>\n
The challenge is therefore significant: successfully reconciling innovation, safety, and social acceptance to sustainably transform the European agricultural sector.<\/p>\n
Can new genomic techniques make European agriculture more sustainable? Europe is seeking to modernize its agriculture to address environmental and food challenges. A recent regulatory proposal aims to frame plants developed using innovative genomic techniques. These methods allow for targeted modifications in the DNA of plants, without introducing foreign DNA, unlike traditional approaches. They offer the possibility of obtaining crops that are more resistant to diseases, more productive, and better adapted to climate change.<\/p>\n
These techniques could play a key role in reducing the use of chemical pesticides. Studies show that genetically improved crops have enabled a reduction in the application of insecticides and herbicides, while increasing yields and farmers’ revenues. For example, certain herbicide-resistant rapeseed varieties reduced the environmental impact of their production by nearly 60% between 1995 and 2006. However, the effects on biodiversity and human health remain variable depending on the regions and types of crops.<\/p>\n
The European proposal introduces two categories of plants resulting from these techniques. The first group includes those whose modifications could occur naturally or through classical selection. These plants would be exempt from the strict rules applied to genetically modified organisms, after a simple verification. The second category, on the other hand, would remain subject to a tailored risk assessment, although less stringent than for traditional GMOs. This distinction aims to accelerate innovation while maintaining a high level of safety.<\/p>\n
The adoption of these techniques could also strengthen the fight against invasive species, a major issue for food security and biodiversity. Invasive alien species cause considerable damage to ecosystems and are costly in terms of prevention and management. New pest-resistant varieties could limit the use of pesticides, often applied preventively, and thus reduce risks to the environment and health.<\/p>\n
Low-risk pesticides, such as biological products or plant extracts, are gaining popularity, but their market share remains modest. Their development is hindered by long and costly regulatory procedures, which discourage investment. The new regulation could facilitate their adoption by simplifying authorization processes for improved plants, while maintaining guarantees for consumers.<\/p>\n
The potential benefits of these innovations are not limited to the environment. They could also improve farm profitability by reducing production costs and limiting crop losses. Crops that are more resistant to diseases and extreme climatic conditions would enable farmers to better cope with uncertainties. Additionally, the nutritional enrichment of food, such as the addition of essential micronutrients, could contribute to better public health, particularly in regions where nutritional deficiencies are common.<\/p>\n
Europe is banking on these advances to achieve the goals of its Green Deal, which aims for more sustainable food, a reduction in pesticides, and better protection of biodiversity. However, the success of this regulation will depend on its practical implementation. Labels, traceability, and coexistence measures between conventional and improved crops will need to be well thought out to avoid additional costs and market tensions.<\/p>\n
New genomic techniques could also diversify the tools available to farmers. By combining these innovations with other approaches, such as biocontrol or precision agriculture, Europe could strengthen the resilience of its food system. This would meet the growing consumer expectations for transparency and sustainability, while maintaining the competitiveness of its agriculture against other major global agricultural powers.<\/p>\n
DOI:<\/strong> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s44264-026-00154-9<\/a><\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> How the proposal for a new regulation for new genomic techniques affects the European Union\u2019s food system sustainability objectives<\/p>\n Journal:<\/strong> npj Sustainable Agriculture<\/p>\n Publisher:<\/strong> Springer Science and Business Media LLC<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong> Maximilian Kardung; Samuel Ahado; Yasmine Ambrogio; Luk\u00e1\u0161 \u010cechura; Kutay Cingiz; Dennis Eriksson; Jo\u00e3o Godinho; Yan Jin; Dimitrios G Karpouzas; Stelios Kartakis; Zuzana Smeets Kristkova; Justus Wesseler<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Can New Genomic Techniques Make European Agriculture More Sustainable? Can new genomic techniques make European agriculture more sustainable? Europe is seeking to modernize its agriculture to address environmental and food challenges. A recent regulatory proposal aims to frame plants developed using innovative genomic techniques. These methods allow for targeted modifications in the DNA of plants,… Continue reading Can New Genomic Techniques Make European Agriculture More Sustainable?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environment","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40,"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39\/revisions\/40"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalagriculturejournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}