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“Give genes a chance!” Over 1,000 scientists in 14 countries hold historic demonstrations in support of gene editing
Over 1,000 scientists in 14 European nations have held unprecedented demonstrations nationwide urging MEPs to back New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) ahead of a crunch vote in the EU parliament tomorrow (February 7, 2024). Gene editing technology, argue demonstrators from 29 European universities, will create crops that use fewer pesticides, are…
Nobel laureates plead with European parliamentarians to ‘reject the darkness of anti-science fearmongering’ over gene editing
As the European Parliament prepares for a key vote on gene editing regulations next week, an open letter signed by 35 Nobel laureates and more than 1,000 European scientists has been sent to parliamentarians asking them to ‘reject the darkness of anti-science fearmongering’. On 24 January the European Parliament’s…
Hope for sickle cell disease patients as FDA approves innovative gene therapies
On December 8, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved two innovative gene therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD), a devastating illness that affects thousands of Americans and many others in the global south. For decades, a bone marrow transplant was the only viable option for patients with…
Farmers, seed producers welcome science-based reform to EU gene editing rules
At a Euractiv media event to mark the launch of the Breakthrough Institute/Alliance for Science’s new report on ‘new genomic techniques,’ stakeholders representing farmers, seed producers, and policymakers welcomed the more science-based approach proposed by the European Commission. Speaking at the event were Klaus Berend, Director, Food Safety,…
New report details the €3 trillion cost of Europe saying ‘no to science’ on gene editing
A new report by the Breakthrough Institute and the Alliance for Science has uncovered the huge economic costs of the European Union’s restrictive regulations on new genomic techniques (NGTs). Entitled “The €3 Trillion Cost of Saying No: How the EU Risks Falling Behind in the Bioeconomy Revolution,” the report…
Crop biotechnology: is misinformation still winning?
The journal GM Crops and Food has begun posting a collection of invited papers on “GM Narratives and Misinformation.” I am not one of the paper authors, nor did I peer review any of those selected by the journal. Still, I did join Mark Lynas at the outset…
African countries urged to embrace new breeding techniques in the fight against food insecurity
The first edition of the International Symposium on Agricultural Transformation and Biotech Crops in Africa (ISATBCA) took place on June 2, 2022, at the West Africa Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI) premises. Some of the participants at the International Symposium on Agricultural Transformation and Biotech Crops in Africa in…
United Kingdom’s precision breeding law unlocks key technologies to improve food security
On March 23, 2023, the United Kingdom passed the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, a meaningful step towards securing the Island’s food security. This law is a significant step that will allow British farmers to grow disease and drought-resistant crops, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and…
Stakeholders converge in Ghana to deliberate on using new techniques to solve global food crisis
Global hunger and malnutrition are at crisis levels, with the number of people who are hungry today more than double that of 2020. More than 345 million people are estimated to experience severe food insecurity in 2023 alone, according to the World Food Program (WFP) The WFP also…