Benefits of genome-edited crops: expert opinion

Rim Lassoued,Stuart J Smyth,Diego Maximiliano Macall,Peter W B Phillips,Hayley Hesseln

doi:10.1007/s11248-019-00118-5

Rim Lassoued, Stuart J Smyth + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-019-00118-5

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Journal: Transgenic Research	Publication Date: Mar 4, 2019
Citations: 70	License type: open-access

Affiliation: University of Saskatchewan

Abstract

Innovation in agriculture is pervasive. However, in spite of the success stories of twentieth century plant breeding, the twenty-first century has ushered in a set of challenges that solutions from the past century are unlikely to address. However, sustained research and the amalgamation of a number of disciplines has resulted in new breeding techniques (NBTs), such as genome editing, which offer the promise of new opportunities to resolve some of the issues. Here we present the results of an expert survey on the added potential benefits of genome-edited crops compared to those developed through genetic modification (GM) and conventional breeding. Overall, survey results reveal a consensus among experts on the enhanced agronomic performance and product quality of genome-edited crops over alternatives. The majority of experts indicated that the regulations for health and safety, followed by export markets, consumers, and the media play a major role in determining where and how NBTs, including genome editing, will be developed and used in agriculture. Further research is needed to gauge expert opinion after the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling establishing that site-specific mutagenic breeding technologies are to be regulated in the same fashion as GM crops, regardless of whether foreign DNA is present in the final variety.

Highlights

Agriculture has benefited from technology and science through the gradual adoption of chemicals, improved crop varieties and sophisticated machines
This paper reports the opinions of biotechnology experts, both in the life and social sciences, on genome-edited crops and technologies
The primary finding of this research is that there is a consensus among experts on the expected greater agronomic performance and product quality of site-specific edited crops—those free from foreign deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) will be more competitive than GM and CONV counterparts

Summary

Introduction

Agriculture has benefited from technology and science through the gradual adoption of chemicals, improved crop varieties and sophisticated machines. Among the economic benefits of such innovations are increased food and feed production and cost reductions for both producers and consumers. Innovation, which is intrinsic to agriculture, is gradually increasing in sophistication, innovations embedded in plants themselves. Over the last three decades, agricultural biotechnology research has extended beyond input-trait genetically-modified (GM) products and expanded into the commercialization of output-trait GM products. This development is due in part to a number of emerging new breeding techniques (NBTs), such as genome editing. As with most biotechnological innovations, those related to food, countries assimilate or reject them based on distinct socio-economic and political realities. In the specific case of new biotechnologies, far, developments have been the same (Schuttelaar & Partners 2015)

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