Gene editing should be allowed in organic crop cultivation to boost yields and promote more sustainable farming practices, according to an international research team led by scientists at the University of Bayreuth.
Follow the latest news and policy debates on sustainable agriculture, biomedicine, and other ‘disruptive’ innovations. Subscribe to our newsletter.
“One major advantage of using genetic editing is the ability to make extremely precise changes to individual genes—faster and more effectively than traditional breeding methods, which often require many generations before a desirable trait becomes established. If organic agriculture is to play a key role in EU agricultural policy, we must also consider innovative approaches,” says Alexandra Molitorisová, … at the University of Bayreuth and lead author of the study.
…
A team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Kai Purnhagen, Chair of Food Law at the University of Bayreuth, argues this position should be reconsidered. They propose a dual-standard approach: one EU-wide organic label for “organic without NGTs” and another for “organic with NGTs.” This system would preserve transparency and consumer choice while enabling organic farming to benefit from targeted innovation.
