New plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) includes a range of agricultural biotechnologies utilized in the food and agriculture sectors for enhancing plant varieties and animal populations genetically, as well as for characterizing and conserving genetic resources, diagnosing plant and animal diseases, and various other applications. These techniques offer diverse science-based approaches to address the escalating challenges of global food insecurity and the adverse impacts of climate change, which are progressing at an alarming rate.
A projection made nearly a decade ago highlighted the necessity to double global food production by 2050 to accommodate the continually expanding human population. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical instabilities have significantly jeopardized food security worldwide. To mitigate these challenges, farmers can embrace an integrated toolkit, including biotech crops engineered to withstand diverse stresses like drought, heat, and flooding, thus enhancing climate resilience.
As of now, regulatory approvals for 385 genetic modification events (comprising stacked or singular traits) have been granted by 44 countries for use in food, including 24 plant species. Among the most extensively modified plants, maize, cotton, potato, soybean, and Argentine canola top the list, primarily targeting traits such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance, followed by modified product quality, disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, altered growth/yield, and nematode resistance.
Genetically modified crops hold promise for reducing pesticide use and soil degradation by cultivating plants resistant to diseases, herbicides, and stresses, and by enhancing nutritional quality. The adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops, particularly herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant varieties, has led to a significant reduction in herbicide and pesticide usage (by 775.4 million kilograms, or 8.3%) between 1996 and 2018.
Consequently, the environmental impact of these chemicals has diminished, reducing the Environmental Impact Quotient by 18.5%. Additionally, there has been a notable decrease in fuel consumption (by 920 million liters) and tillage practices, equivalent to removing 15.27 million cars from roads, resulting in a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from GM crop areas. Furthermore, ongoing research endeavors are directed towards designing traits that conserve water and land while simultaneously increasing yields.
One of the primary aims of plant research is to enhance crop productivity without expanding agricultural land. Without the utilization of biotech crops, maintaining global production at 2016 levels would have necessitated planting an additional 22.4 million hectares (Mha) of soybean, maize, cotton, and canola, likely at the expense of rainforests. This would have intensified carbon(iv)oxide emissions, exacerbating climate change. Genetically modified (GM) crops hold significant potential and are expected to play important roles in ensuring food security and adapting to climate change. However, realizing these potential benefits requires a regulatory framework with statutory requirements based on product risks, allowing for predictable pathways to market.
The potential applications of agricultural biotechnology are vast. An analysis employing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) framework of new plant breeding techniques reveals that strengths outweigh weaknesses, and opportunities surpass threats. While modern biotechnology offers unique societal benefits, the use of transgenic organisms must proceed cautiously to mitigate environmental and health risks, ensuring they are no more detrimental than current crops and practices.
To adopt genome-editing technologies, government support is vital in establishing an updated regulatory framework, developed through discussions with various stakeholders and society. New genomic techniques (NGTs) have garnered significant attention in European discussions. According to the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, these innovative techniques, including biotechnology, may contribute to sustainability if they are safe for consumers and the environment while benefiting society as a whole.
The European Commission presented a study on the status of NGTs under EU law in April 2021, highlighting their potential to support sustainable agri-food systems aligned with the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy objectives. Furthermore, the European Commission initiated a public consultation on the legislation of plants produced by certain new genomic techniques, with individual responses published on their website, although a comprehensive report is yet to be released.
The European Commission (EC) has yet to offer an interpretative stance on which organisms developed through new genomic techniques fall within the EU’s definition of GMO. The full potential of genome editing cannot be realized if we proceed with a regulatory framework that effectively bans the technology. It’s worth noting that in other regions worldwide, products of new genomic techniques are cultivated, produced, and consumed, as discussed in recent reviews. Africa, for instance, holds significant potential for adopting GM crops, with Nigeria emerging as a leader in this regard; there’s also a noticeable shift towards positive attitudes regarding genetically modified organisms in Kenya. Latin American nations, alongside the US and Canada, lead in the cultivation and production of GM crops. Alongside North American countries, various Latin American nations, the Philippines, China, Japan, Australia, and others have already established criteria for determining the regulatory status of NPBTs.
