New GMOs on the Market: A Global Snapshot
Dr Samson Simon from Germany’s Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, in his presentation, gave the Summit an overview of New Genomic Techniques, what has been developed so far and what is on markets globally. He explained that “genomes of organisms can now be shaped, redesigned and even shuffled to a revolutionary new extent, no matter if foreign genes are introduced or not”, whilst warning that “knowledge about the effects of these genetic changes in the organisms and the ecosystem is limited.” Dr Simon explained that in the EU there have been no applications for the cultivation or import of NGT plants, but that four NGT-modified crops, such as a tomato with enhanced “medicinal properties” in Japan and a salad with a longer shelf life in the USA, are already cultivated. NGT crops, warns Dr Simon, raise concerns over potential ecological risks, with no equivalence between NGT plants and plant breeding, “naturalness” does not equal safety, he noted.
Traceability: Safeguarding Consumer Trust
Eric Gall of IFOAM (representing Europe’s entire organic food chain) made clear the stance of the organic food industry in Europe: among its core principles and practices - as well as the ban on use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers - is the exclusion of all GMOs (new and old GMOs). For IFOAM “upholding value chain integrity and consumer expectations” is vital. The organic sector sees a deregulation of NGTs as a “step back for biosafety and freedom of choice for consumers and producers”, noted Gall. Key for IFOAM in future legislation will be a ban on NGTs in organic food production and, necessarily, traceability of NGTs in order to allow for proper labelling.
Non-GMO and Regenerative Agriculture: Partners in Sustainability
Dr Ruud Overbeek from FoodChainID shared insights into regenerative agriculture and its alignment with Non-GMO principles. Regenerative practices, which prioritise soil health and biodiversity, resonate with Non-GMO’s links to sustainability. He highlighted that certification systems, such as those of The ProTerra Foundation, whilst setting out high standards of sustainable and ethical agricultural and food production practices also include that production is Non-GMO. By connecting Non-GMO and regenerative farming, the industry can meet consumer demands for transparency while contributing to climate resilience.
Ready to Face The Challenges Ahead
2024’s Non-GMO Summit underscored the Non-GMO industry's dedication to transparency, sustainable agricultural practices, and consumer choice. Through hearing from market experts, attendees gained insight into a generally healthy European market for Non-GMO crops. And whilst the uncertainty around the EU’s legislation on NGTs - which is likely to be around the corner - poses challenges to the entire value chain, the key industry figures in the room gave a strong message of optimism and resilience.
ENGA Secretary General, Heike Moldenhauer, closed the Summit and summarised some of the main messages. She highlighted the current situation when it comes to New GMOs: “currently we have hardly any New GMOs on global markets - none in the EU, just a handful in countries where New GMOs have a non-regulated status.” And she continued by explaining that the discussions around excluding New GMOs in conventional and organic Non-GMO value chains “is currently a rather theoretical consideration. At this very moment it is not something that the European food and feed sectors have to deal with, due to the absence of products. We will not be faced with a flood of New GMOs in the coming years - as a glance at the companies' development pipelines shows. The European food and feed sector will have to deal with individual New GMOs”, she added. Ms Moldenhauer concluded on a note of optimism: “exploration of audit strategies and research on detection methods and improved traceability has picked up speed. We are confident that we can expect progress in improved methods to exclude New GMOs from Non-GMO value chains.”
Find out more about the Non-GMO Summit: https://www.nongmosummit.com
See the photo gallery: https://www.nongmosummit.com/gallery