Search Results
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…
Uganda scientists push for adoption of GM crops as anti-biotechnology activists spread misinformation
Even though GMOs have been scientifically proven to be safe and would be an invaluable component of Uganda’s food security strategy, they continue to be a target of attack by politicians and civil society groups. Uganda, ironically, has the largest number of GM crops under test at…
Gene drive: Emerging mosquito threats in Africa call for new technologies to fight malaria
Even with the extensive use of control strategies such as indoor residual spraying, drug treatment, and the provision of insecticide-treated nets, Africa continues to bear the world’s highest malaria burden. In 2021, the continent accounted for 95 percent of all malaria cases (234 million) and 96 percent of all malaria…
Latin America: a biotech laboratory and world champion in GMOs and gene editing
Since the commercial release of GMOs began in the mid-1990s, Latin America has been a key region in the industry. Apart from their prominence in world soccer, Brazil and Argentina continue to consolidate their position as the world’s second and third-largest producers of GMOs, respectively. Paraguay, Uruguay, and…