Thursday in Strasbourg, MEPs paved the way for new genomic techniques (NGT) for agriculture. A method supposed to help growers in the face of global warming in particular. But the controversy is heated.
The European Parliament voted in favor of more flexible regulations regarding the use of NGT, new genomic techniques, on plants.
Some experts say our food system could become more sustainable thanks to these NGTs. Plants could become more resilient to climate change and pest species.
But what exactly are these genomic techniques?
Mohammed BendahmaneDirector of Research at INRAE, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon: “New technologies make it possible to target more precisely, in a surgical manner, like scissors, the genes within the genome, without affecting all the other parts of the genome, and introduce a function or improve the function we want. So There is a huge time saving and it is even more important because it is more precise and we will only target the part that interests us to improve.”
Professor Bendahmane believes that NGTs could play a crucial role in combating the impact of climate change on agriculture. He hopes they will avoid crop losses caused by early flowering, which is happening with increasing frequency.
In Europe, this method is currently regulated in the same way as GMOs, genetically modified organisms.
But to what extent are these two techniques similar?
Georges Freyssinetpresident of the French Association of Plant Biotechnologies: “These technologies are totally different from the transgenesis that we used before, since in transgenesis we introduce a new gene, here we only modify a gene already present”.
“What we are seeing with climate change is a redistribution of disease. Insects migrate from south to north and increased humidity leads to an increase in fungal infections. Faced with these natural changes, we must react more quickly. These technologies, which accelerate research and development, should allow us to develop plants capable of adapting to future variations.”
However, some farmers consider these NGT-modified plants as potentially harmful to agriculture.
Christian FoilleretAssociation of Volunteer Reapers: “The NGT are part of my demands and the demands of the Peasant Confederation. It is a big worry if it passes, because we are starting with the patenting of living things and with all the abuses that there may be. We will be on an even more productivist, capitalist agriculture and all that”.
But what are the solutions for agriculture in a warming world?
“There are alternative approaches today. In my farm, I favor the mastery of existing techniques and their adaptation to specific plants. You cannot grow just anything anywhere, the plants must be adapted to their environment”explains Christian Foilleret. “Studies have even shown that tomatoes grow without water. But we continue to neglect plant research in favor of genetic manipulation.”
In the European Union, over the past 50 years, harvests have declined by 30%, leading some to call for a change in the way agriculture is managed. However, although the NGT method is used elsewhere in the world, LThe European Food Safety Authority has warned of potential safety issues with its application.
The ball is now in the EU Council’s court. The representatives of the Member States will have to adopt their common position, which will then have to be validated by the European deputies.