The European seed industry is facing a growing threat from patents, particularly in the area of new genetic editing techniques (NGTs). This could lead to increased corporate control over seeds, reduced genetic diversity, and potential risks to Europe’s food security.
Belgium has proposed excluding patented plant strains from the light-touch regulation of genetically modified crops created using modern DNA editing technology, in an effort to break a deadlock among EU governments over the issue. The proposal, which will be discussed by government delegates on May 22, addresses concerns over the patenting of novel seed varieties by agribusinesses, while also excluding herbicide-resistant strains of GMO plants from the new ‘category 1’ classification. The compromise text seeks to create a new category of GMO plant products whose genome has been modified with a limited number of tweaks using targeted mutagenesis techniques.
