Regulatory Constraints and Differences of Genome-Edited Crops Around the Globe

Abstract

Plant breeding for centuries has relied on the availability of genetic variation to introduce new desirable traits into crops. Biotechnology has already accelerated the ability to induce and utilize new genetic variation, through approaches such as mutation breeding and using technologies such as marker assisted breeding to rapidly identify the required variation. These technologies fall within the definition of “conventional and traditional” breeding and are lightly regulated. However, plant breeders are facing an urgent need for access to wider genetic variation to meet the needs of today’s farmers and consumers worldwide. New breeding technologies (NBTs), such as genome editing, are speeding up the breeding process and providing plant breeders with access to a far greater range of genetic variation. Coupled with a rapidly accelerating genomics era, genome editing is moving plant breeding into an exciting era of intelligent and precision-based plant breeding. The speed at which these new technologies are emerging has challenged the regulatory climate. Some countries consider genome edited crops to require the same regulatory oversight as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), while others have chosen to regulate with the same safety evaluations currently associated with bringing conventionally bred crops to market. Harmonization of the regulatory climate is urgently needed if there is to be equal access to this technology and to support international trade of these crops. The current chapter provides a global overview of the current regulatory status of genome-edited crops.