More food is needed to feed the growing world population sustainably while preserving biodiversity for future generations. This requires the application of the best science and technology. Genome/Gene-Editing (‘GEd’) is providing exciting new opportunities for genetic crop improvement, and GEd is already contributing to a new understanding of gene function and to better produce.
The potential exists to break the nexus between Genetically Modified (GM) and GEd plants, and to avoid the issues that have prevented wider use of GM crops. Factors to consider related to commercial application include:
National and international policies/regulations on GEd produce are advancing rapidly. International harmonisation, or at least alignment, is a pre-requisite for achieving the full benefits and enabling international trade in GEd produce. Many countries in N & S America, the Asia-Pacific, and more recently in Africa and Europe, are reassessing their regulatory regimes. The underlying principle is that if the GEd undertaken could have been achieved by conventional breeding, then there is no reason why produce developed using GEd, which achieves the same ends as conventional breeding but more rapidly and precisely, should be regulated any differently from conventionally bred varieties.
The international regulatory status of GEd crops will be presented, focusing on trade in the Asia-Pacific region.