Abstract
The EU regulation on organic farming does not allow the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which are subject to Directive 2001/18/EC. Mutagenesis using irradiation or chemicals is genetic modification, but the organisms obtained through these techniques are not subject to the provisions of the GMO directive. Such mutants can therefore be used in organic agriculture. Derived from its basic principles, organic farming can only use natural substances to control disease and crops should be resilient, which, in the case of disease resistance, means that durable (horizontal) resistance is preferred to vertical (single gene) resistance. Cisgenesis can achieve such a durable resistance by introducing multiple resistance genes in one step. These multiple-resistant plants only contain natural genes that can also be introduced by breeding. In case cisgenic plants are not subject to the provisions of the GMO legislation, they can even be legally used in organic agriculture. In case they are not exempted from the GMO regulation, the question is: why obstruct a cisgenic potato crop that can hardly be distinguished from a potato crop that is the result of conventional breeding? Among the reasons why organic agriculture does not allow the use of GMOs it is mentioned that genetic engineering is unpredictable, it causes genome disruption and it is unnatural. However, our knowledge of plant genome evolution and breeding has increased dramatically. We now know that breeding is more unpredictable and causes more genome disruption than genetic engineering. Recent field trials have shown the efficacy of cisgenic late blight–resistant potatoes carrying multiple resistance genes. Large-scale growing of such durably resistant potatoes would not only be environmentally beneficial by it would strongly reducing the need for fungicide sprays in conventional potato cultivation and it would also reduce the disease pressure in organic potato cultivation.
Highlights
The ideology and methods of organic farming started as different movements in many places that have been united in the International Federation of Organic Movements (IFOAM)
In case they are not exempted from the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) regulation, the question is: why obstruct a cisgenic potato crop that can hardly be distinguished from a potato crop that is the result of conventional breeding? Among the reasons why organic agriculture does not allow the use of GMOs it is mentioned that genetic engineering is unpredictable, it causes genome disruption and it is unnatural
Annex IB of this GMO directive defines mutagenesis using irradiation or chemicals as a technique of genetic modification, but through article 3 of this directive the organisms obtained through these techniques are not subject to the provisions of that GMO directive
Summary
The ideology and methods of organic farming started as different movements in many places that have been united in the International Federation of Organic Movements (IFOAM). The principles of organic agriculture are based on health, ecology, fairness and care. It is a contradiction to the above mentioned principle aims of organic agriculture.” This general principle on the exclusion of GMOs has been implemented in much legislation. Annex IB of this GMO directive defines mutagenesis using irradiation or chemicals as a technique of genetic modification, but through article 3 of this directive the organisms obtained through these techniques are not subject to the provisions of that GMO directive. Such mutants can be used in organic agriculture. We believe it is time to reconsider this issue in the light of new insights on genomic dynamics during breeding and evolution obtained from the many genome sequencing data from the past decade [10,11,12,13,14]
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