• About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
  • Classifieds
  • Login
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
Membership
Quota Media
Omnibuzz

Food systems news

Tuesday March 21 2023

Great minds think aloud

  • News
    • All
    • In the news
    • Features
    • Opinion
    eco-labels

    Supermarket food could soon carry eco-labels, says study

    The “Inflation Reduction Act” marks a new chapter for America’s climate policy. Pic: PA

    New US act encourages low-carbon purchases

    Economist chart: Sources: UN Comtrade; UN joint coordination centre; Ukrainian

    Nine cargo ships have left Ukraine

    Smog is so bad in Delhi at times that the government has closed elementary schools. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

    The UN just declared a universal human right to a healthy, sustainable environment

    carbon-neutral eggs

    Hens fed insects to lay carbon-neutral eggs

    Oleksiy Vadatursky was worth $450m (£369m), according to a 2020 estimate by Forbes

    Ukraine grain tycoon killed in Russian shelling

    General Assembly Meets on Peacebuilding and Human Rights. Photo by UN

    UN right to a healthy environment “is ammunition for campaigners”

    Grain exports

    Ukraine war: Grain exports could restart ‘within days’

    Protests in Nairobi as Maasai activists deliver a petition to the Tanzania High Commission, in Kenya, 17 June 2022. EPA-EFE/Daniel Irungu

    In northern Tanzania, the government is trying to evict thousands of Maasai

    Dr Roberto Mukaro Agüeibaná Borrero uses air quotes: “Indigenous people are being kicked out to ‘protect’ the animals and land”

    Indigenous Peoples side lined at UN, opening the door to land grabs under 30×30

  • Business
  • Policy
  • Research
  • Sections
    • All
    • Retail
    • Data
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Economy
    • Health
    • Food Safety
    • Governance
    • Security
    • Sustainability
    • Agriculture
    • Rights
    • Tech
    eco-labels

    Supermarket food could soon carry eco-labels, says study

    The “Inflation Reduction Act” marks a new chapter for America’s climate policy. Pic: PA

    New US act encourages low-carbon purchases

    Economist chart: Sources: UN Comtrade; UN joint coordination centre; Ukrainian

    Nine cargo ships have left Ukraine

    Indigenous communities are raising awareness about how the proposed lithium mine at Peehee Mu'huh (Thacker Pass), NV, will impact their ancestral burial grounds, water resources, and wildlife. Photo by Chanda Callao/ @Peopleofredmountain.

    Free, prior and informed consent required as clean energy threatens Indigenous Peoples

    Smog is so bad in Delhi at times that the government has closed elementary schools. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

    The UN just declared a universal human right to a healthy, sustainable environment

    carbon-neutral eggs

    Hens fed insects to lay carbon-neutral eggs

    Oleksiy Vadatursky was worth $450m (£369m), according to a 2020 estimate by Forbes

    Ukraine grain tycoon killed in Russian shelling

    General Assembly Meets on Peacebuilding and Human Rights. Photo by UN

    UN right to a healthy environment “is ammunition for campaigners”

    Grain exports

    Ukraine war: Grain exports could restart ‘within days’

    Trending Tags

    • Covid-19
    • UK
    • Retail
  • Comms unit
  • Shop
  • Events
  • News
    • All
    • In the news
    • Features
    • Opinion
    eco-labels

    Supermarket food could soon carry eco-labels, says study

    The “Inflation Reduction Act” marks a new chapter for America’s climate policy. Pic: PA

    New US act encourages low-carbon purchases

    Economist chart: Sources: UN Comtrade; UN joint coordination centre; Ukrainian

    Nine cargo ships have left Ukraine

    Smog is so bad in Delhi at times that the government has closed elementary schools. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

    The UN just declared a universal human right to a healthy, sustainable environment

    carbon-neutral eggs

    Hens fed insects to lay carbon-neutral eggs

    Oleksiy Vadatursky was worth $450m (£369m), according to a 2020 estimate by Forbes

    Ukraine grain tycoon killed in Russian shelling

    General Assembly Meets on Peacebuilding and Human Rights. Photo by UN

    UN right to a healthy environment “is ammunition for campaigners”

    Grain exports

    Ukraine war: Grain exports could restart ‘within days’

    Protests in Nairobi as Maasai activists deliver a petition to the Tanzania High Commission, in Kenya, 17 June 2022. EPA-EFE/Daniel Irungu

    In northern Tanzania, the government is trying to evict thousands of Maasai

    Dr Roberto Mukaro Agüeibaná Borrero uses air quotes: “Indigenous people are being kicked out to ‘protect’ the animals and land”

    Indigenous Peoples side lined at UN, opening the door to land grabs under 30×30

  • Business
  • Policy
  • Research
  • Sections
    • All
    • Retail
    • Data
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Economy
    • Health
    • Food Safety
    • Governance
    • Security
    • Sustainability
    • Agriculture
    • Rights
    • Tech
    eco-labels

    Supermarket food could soon carry eco-labels, says study

    The “Inflation Reduction Act” marks a new chapter for America’s climate policy. Pic: PA

    New US act encourages low-carbon purchases

    Economist chart: Sources: UN Comtrade; UN joint coordination centre; Ukrainian

    Nine cargo ships have left Ukraine

    Indigenous communities are raising awareness about how the proposed lithium mine at Peehee Mu'huh (Thacker Pass), NV, will impact their ancestral burial grounds, water resources, and wildlife. Photo by Chanda Callao/ @Peopleofredmountain.

    Free, prior and informed consent required as clean energy threatens Indigenous Peoples

    Smog is so bad in Delhi at times that the government has closed elementary schools. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

    The UN just declared a universal human right to a healthy, sustainable environment

    carbon-neutral eggs

    Hens fed insects to lay carbon-neutral eggs

    Oleksiy Vadatursky was worth $450m (£369m), according to a 2020 estimate by Forbes

    Ukraine grain tycoon killed in Russian shelling

    General Assembly Meets on Peacebuilding and Human Rights. Photo by UN

    UN right to a healthy environment “is ammunition for campaigners”

    Grain exports

    Ukraine war: Grain exports could restart ‘within days’

    Trending Tags

    • Covid-19
    • UK
    • Retail
  • Comms unit
  • Shop
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
Quota Media
No Result
View All Result
Home Topics Agriculture

Gene editing could become legal in England – EU pressured to follow suit

Scientists support Defra view that GE could deliver sustainability and food security

by Becky Fletcher
January 8, 2021
in Policy, Economy, Health, Security
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Gene editing could become legal in England – EU pressured to follow suit
201
SHARES
2.2k
VIEWS
Share on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Facebook

The UK government has launched a consultation in England on gene editing, to revisit European regulation banning its use.

Nobel prize winning methods could be applied to accelerate natural selection in crop and animal breeding as a result. This could reduce antibiotics, hormones and harmful chemicals in the food system and boost production.

Sir David Baulcombe, Regius Professor of Botany in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, said yesterday, “The overwhelming view [of] public sector scientists is that the Nobel Prize winning methods can accelerate sustainable, productive and profitable agriculture.”

The consultation will also gather evidence on future controls over genetic modification, leading campaigning environmental groups to question whether potentially dangerous “frankenfood” could be introduced under the cover of this move.

The UK’s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has a well-established view that organisms produced by gene editing (GE) should not be regulated as genetically modified (GMOs).

Gene editing is different to genetic modification (GM), in which DNA from one species is introduced to a different one. Gene edited organisms do not contain DNA from a different species, and only produce changes that could be made slowly using traditional breeding methods.

“Overregulation may obstruct use of new plant breeding technologies”

Technologies developed in the last decade allow genes to be edited quickly and precisely to mimic the natural breeding process.

A 2018 ruling in the European Court of Justice led to gene editing being regulated in the same way as genetic modification. However, the UK’s break from Europe now allows this regulation to be revisited.

Professor Robin May, the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Chief Scientific Advisor, said, “There are strict controls on GM crops, seeds and food which the FSA will continue to apply moving forward.

“As with all novel foods, GE foods will only be permitted if they [do] not present a health risk, mislead consumers, or have lower nutritional value than existing equivalent foods.”

The creators of the first gene editing tool, known as Crispr-Cas9 “genetic scissors” are Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna, who were awarded a Nobel Prize for their discovery in 2020.

Academics have been urging EU regulators to revisit their decision of 2018, as the new gene-editing technology became available.

“Japan has approved gene-edited tomatoes that lower blood pressure”

A report published last year by German academic, Matin Qaim, called on regulatory reforms for gene edited crops. His report is titled Role of New Plant Breeding Technologies for Food Security and Sustainable Agricultural Development.

“While the science is exciting and some clear benefits are already observable, overregulation and public misperceptions may obstruct the development and use of new plant breeding technologies,” Qaim said.

Karla Canavan, an international agri-business veteran, told Quota, “Gene editing only changes some traits and can bring incredible results. The key to me is the timing.

“We are over-using resources at such a pace that we need two planets rather than one. We need to keep land productive and stop the degradation tipping point in landscapes and waterscapes.”

Examples of gene edited crops in their final stage of research include virus resistant banana and cassava, maize, soybean, wheat and rice. In Africa, research labs successfully removed banana streak virus in plantains.

Matin Quaim says gene-editing technology could “contribute to more diversity and competition in seed markets.” As GE is low cost, it could be a disrupter, allowing smaller labs and companies to apply it. GMOs have faced a backlash due to the select number of biotech companies dominating the market.

“Gene-edited orphan crops could support food security in Africa”

New regulations have allowed GE in a number of Latin American countries, Australia, the US and Japan.

Japan has recently approved gene-edited tomatoes for consumption which contain higher levels of amino acids and lowers blood pressure.

Meanwhile, African countries have resisted the regulation of gene edited technologies because of Europe’s influence. If the European Union revisited legislation it could help developing countries address food insecurity.

Karla Canavan says, “There are many orphan crops in Africa that could bring biodiversity to the soil and to the diet. They are losing ground to typical staples brought by colonialism like rice and corn.” Gene-edited orphan crops that are highly nutritious and climate resilient could benefit from disease resistant traits and higher yielding properties.

Sign up for Best of Quota
  Thank you for Signing Up
Please correct the marked field(s) below.
1,true,6,Contact Email,2 1,false,1,First Name,2 1,false,1,Last Name,2
Tags: BrexitAfricaJapanGene editingDefra
Previous Post

Smithfield prepares Covid vaccine for employees

Next Post

Cheap food is no longer a tenable economic model, academic tells Oxford Farming Conference

Becky Fletcher

Becky Fletcher

Becky Fletcher has an interest in sustainability, food security and culture. From February 2021, she will be studying for an MSc in Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey.

Next Post
Cheap food is no longer a tenable economic model, academic tells Oxford Farming Conference

Cheap food is no longer a tenable economic model, academic tells Oxford Farming Conference

Please login to join discussion

Editor's Picks

Indigenous communities are raising awareness about how the proposed lithium mine at Peehee Mu'huh (Thacker Pass), NV, will impact their ancestral burial grounds, water resources, and wildlife. Photo by Chanda Callao/ @Peopleofredmountain.
Rights

Free, prior and informed consent required as clean energy threatens Indigenous Peoples

by May Davies
August 9, 2022
0
1.1k

A new coalition of Indigenous Peoples is calling for free, prior and informed consent to be negotiated without exception as...

Read more
Smog is so bad in Delhi at times that the government has closed elementary schools. Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

The UN just declared a universal human right to a healthy, sustainable environment

August 6, 2022
1.1k
Protests in Nairobi as Maasai activists deliver a petition to the Tanzania High Commission, in Kenya, 17 June 2022. EPA-EFE/Daniel Irungu

In northern Tanzania, the government is trying to evict thousands of Maasai

July 23, 2022
1.1k
Mikkel Friis-Holm: "It was great to be the dad of real principle." Pic: Robin Skjoldborg

Mikkel Friis-Holm’s Chocolate War – free speech vs boycotts in Copenhagen

July 15, 2022
2.7k
Ecuador’s Indigenous peoples: we are protecting our territories “If we lose territory we lose everything. It’s that simple.” Pic: Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador

Ecuador’s Indigenous Peoples: we are protecting our territories

July 1, 2022
1.2k
Twitter Youtube LinkedIn
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Awards
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Classifieds
  • Events
  • Login

Popular Tags

Covid-19 United States United Kingdom United Nations Brexit 2021 Food Systems Summit European Union China Food and Agriculture Organization UK World Food Programme Nestle Climate Change COP26 Food banks Meat Farmers Slavery

Best of Quota

Our audience's free secret weapon, leaving others to ask, "What do they know, that I don't?"


Thank you for Signing Up
Please correct the marked field(s) below.
1,true,6,Contact Email,21,false,1,First Name,21,false,1,Last Name,2

© 2021 Quota Media Limited | All rights reserved | Registered Company Number 12581018      Online Web Fonts

Terms & Conditions      Privacy Policy      Ethical Policy      Cookie Policy     

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Policy
  • Research
  • Comms unit
  • Shop
  • Events
  • Membership subs
  • Awards
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 Quota Media Limited | All rights reserved | Registered Company Number 12581018      Online Web Fonts

Terms & Conditions      Privacy Policy      Ethical Policy      Cookie Policy     

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In