Topic in Focus
Green Genetic Engineering: Introduction
Photo: Adobe Stock / Oleksandr
Genetic engineering techniques have considerably expanded plant breeding possibilities. However, in Europe, green genetic engineering is strictly regulated by law and has not yet gained considerable significance. With the development of new molecular genetic tools, known as “genetic scissors”, the question of potential, safety and legal regulation arises again. These tools can be used to modify crops in a more targeted, cost-efficient and time-saving way than the breeding methods previously used.
The term “green genetic engineering” describes genetic engineering processes in plant breeding, especially for agricultural purposes. This technology made it possible to selectively transfer gene sequences from one species to another for the first time, thus creating so-called transgenic organisms. Nowadays, green genetic engineering focuses more on the targeted deactivation or modification of individual genes. Such precise interventions have only been possible for a few years now by using new methods, the most important of which are genome editing methods. These methods allow specific locations in the genome to be precisely targeted and rewritten (edited).
The CRISPR/Cas genetic scissors are the most prominent example of a genome editing tool. It is often discussed concerning medical applications. Scientific findings and advancements fuel the hope that it could be used to develop new cancer therapies or treat hereditary diseases. However, genome editing methods are not only applicable to humans, but also to animals, microorganisms and plants.
The use of genetic scissors thus also advances plant breeding. Compared to conventional breeding techniques, which also aim to improve or expand the properties of plants, this method is more precise and yields faster results. At the same time, it does not have the disadvantages of first-generation genetic engineering methods, where it is often impossible to control the exact position in the genome at which a new gene or gene element is inserted.
First-generation genetic engineering has received a predominantly critical reception by consumers from the outset, particularly in Europe, and has gained little acceptance. Many scientists believe that genome editing has the potential to relaunch green genetic engineering. It allows the properties of crops to be modified in a relatively speedy and straightforward manner. Such breeding could contribute to more productive, less pesticide-intensive and more resource-conserving agriculture, secure food supplies and improve nutrition.
One important aspect is that genome edited plants – unlike most products of conventional genetic engineering – are generally indistinguishable from plants that could also emerge through natural genetic changes (mutations) or conventional breeding.
“We definitely need new technologies. It is not possible to achieve the required plant traits quickly enough with the old technologies. We must produce more, and we must be able to adapt plants quickly to changing conditions. Climate change is happening at a rapid pace. Heat and drought will play an increasing role, but also new disease patterns and pest patterns that take on a whole new significance due to changing weather conditions. The question is, how do we deal with this? What can help us? It would be wrong to say that only genetic engineering or only genome editing can assist the process. It has to be a variety of different things. Clearly, we also need digital technologies and improved crop rotations and other aspects. We need to bring things together, but it will not work without new technologies.”
In many countries, research and development in this area are faltering because legal regulation is restrictive or has not been conclusively clarified. In the European Union (EU), for example, a ruling by the European Court of Justice from July 2018 generally classifies genome edited plants as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Thus, subject to the corresponding legal regulations of the EU Release Directive from 2001, which in turn makes development and approval time-consuming and expensive.
Scientists, therefore, plead for a more differentiated view regarding genome edited plants. In a joint statement issued in 2019, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the German Research Foundation and the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities emphasise that the EU’s current process-centric approach is no longer scientifically justifiable. Instead, a science-based risk assessment should be carried out depending on the novelty of the product respectively its modified characteristics. The three scientific institutions advocate a revision of European genetic engineering law.
After a study published by the European Commission in the spring of 2021 concluded that the currently applicable genetic engineering law is no longer appropriate for genome edited plants, such a reform has begun. The EU Commission has launched a wide-ranging open consultation process to discuss the design of a new legal framework for new breeding methods and engage in an open debate.
