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Future GE Developments Remain Risky

THIRD WORLD NETWORK BIOSAFETY INFORMATION SERVICE 

Dear Friends and Colleagues 

Re: Future GE Developments Remain Risky 

A new report from Testbiotech entitled “Free trade for high-risk biotech‘? Future of genetically engineered organisms, new synthetic genome technologies and the planned free trade agreement TTIP” examines future developments in agro-biotechnology and genetic engineering. It focuses on the kinds of GMOs for which market authorisation has been applied in the EU and those that are in the pipeline and might soon be on the market. The report discusses these future applications in the context of the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement between the EU and USA, which may facilitate placing such products on the market. 

Forty-nine GE crop events have been approved for import into the EU for use in food and feed while 55 applications for authorisation of new GE crop events are pending.  Most are insecticidal and/or resistant to herbicides. These same traits also appear in so-called stacked events, which increasingly combine multiple traits. New applications in the future include GE trees and GE insects. The report also discusses the new ‘synthetic genome technologies’ which involve radical alteration of genomes. The report warns, with supporting evidence, that these technologies are complex, failure-prone and linked to uncertainties and risks.  

Testbiotech asserts that if society wants to allow the use of some of these technologies and applications, there is no alternative but to reinforce precautionary approaches in parallel. The report therefore recommends strengthening the Precautionary Principle; extending ethical debates on the protection of genetic identity and integrity of living beings; and changing agricultural policy to include more comprehensive protection of the environment and enhancement of biodiversity. 

The Summary and the Conclusions and Recommendations of the report are reproduced below. The full paper can be downloaded at: www.testbiotech.org/node/1007   

 

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FREE TRADE FOR HIGH-RISK BIOTECH‘? FUTURE OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ORGANISMS, NEW SYNTHETIC GENOME TECHNOLOGIES AND THE PLANNED FREE TRADE AGREEMENT TTIP 

Summary  

This is a report on future developments in agro-biotechnology and genetic engineering. It focuses on the kinds of genetically engineered organisms for which market authorisation has been applied in the EU and those that are in the pipeline and might soon be on the market. Special attention has been given to new genome technologies. Furthermore, it includes a discussion of the potential influence of the planned free trade agreement (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP) on the authorisation of new genetically engineered organisms for use in agriculture and food production. 

The majority of currently pending market applications are for genetically engineered plants with herbicide resistance and insecticidal toxicity. These same traits also appear in so-called stacked events, which are a combination of several genetically engineered plants in one event. The stacks of the highest order (so far) are plants that are resistant to up to four herbicides and at the same time produce half a dozen insecticidal toxins. Stacking such genes ultimately means pyramiding risks and uncertainties.  

Some of the genetically engineered trees and animals that might be used in agriculture or forestry in the near future show a high potential for spreading uncontrollably in the environment. These risks are particularly relevant for planned field trials of genetically engineered olive flies and forest trees such as poplar.  

In recent years, several new genome technologies have been developed that allow a radical transformation of the genome. These new technologies are summarised in this report as ’synthetic genome technologies’. They are already applied in practice without this being widely known. Not only are these new technologies associated with new risks but also with ethical problems concerning genetic identity and the integrity of living beings.  

In the near future, it is to be expected that industry will want to market a larger number of risky new products for use in agriculture and food production in the EU. At the same, the new free trade agreement (TTIP) between EU and USA might facilitate placing such products on the market. This report presents some of the arguments used by the proponents of this policy who want to pave the way for the marketing of these products.  

As the report shows, current developments are moving away from the traditional systems of breeding and agriculture and expanding into technologies that are complex, failure-prone and associated with a great number of uncertainties regarding risks. If society wants to allow the use of some of these technologies and applications there is no alternative but to strengthen the precautionary principle in parallel. This is the only way to deal with the many uncertainties and factual limits of knowledge in a rational way.  

The report recommends

› strengthening the precautionary principle;

› extending ethical debates on the protection of genetic identity and integrity of living beings;

› a change in agricultural policy to include more comprehensive protection of the environment and enhancement of biodiversity 

The implementation of these recommendations should have priority above further releases and market authorisations.

 

Conclusions and Recommendations  

This report shows that genetically engineered organisms pose growing risks in light of current and future developments. Some of the most relevant reasons are: 

› an increasing number of combinations of additional DNA sequences and relevant traits in so-called stacked events and related accumulation of uncertainties and risks; 

› introduction of new herbicide resistance traits leading to an increase in residues in the plants from spraying with the complementary herbicides;

› insertion of new variants of insecticidal toxins by using synthetically derived DNA;

› introduction of new traits such as higher tolerance to drought or new quality in oil which generate new uncertainties in risk assessment; 

› environmental releases of genetically engineered organisms such as trees and insects which have a high potential to spread without control in the environment;

› increasing use of technologies in plants and animals that allow radical alteration of the genome (“Synthetic Genome Technologies”) .

 

Against this background we make the following recommendations:   

1. Enhancement of the precautionary principle

› Standards for risk assessment of genetically engineered organisms should be raised; combinatorial effects, long term impacts and residues from spraying should be taken into account. If doubts remain about safety, the burden of proof should be with the applicant. Post-marketing monitoring should be much more detailed and comprehensive. 

› Genetically engineered organisms which cannot be controlled in their spatio-temporal dimension, should not be allowed for release. Precautionary measures only can be taken if a genetically engineered organism can be removed from the environment if this is urgently required.

› Regulate and label invasive methods of DNA alteration.

 

2. Definition of ethical boundaries 

› New methods of making radical changes in the genome have become available which require the definition of ethical boundaries to protect genomic identity and the integrity of living organisms. 

 

3. Implementation of a coherent agricultural policy 

› The ’arms race’ in the fields as observed in the context of crops such as SmartStax is not compatible with the aims of an environmentally friendly, multifunctional and sustainable agriculture. Targeted strategies are needed to minimise insecticides and herbicides in the fields and to enhance biodiversity in and around the fields. Decision-making in the EU on imports should also take into account the impact of cultivation of genetically engineered plants in other regions. 

› The implementation of these recommendations should have priority above further releases and market authorisations.

 

February 13th, 2014 | Category: Industry Outlook
«  
  »

Future GE Developments Remain Risky

FREE TRADE FOR HIGH-RISK BIOTECH‘? FUTURE OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ORGANISMS, NEW SYNTHETIC GENOME TECHNOLOGIES AND THE PLANNED FREE TRADE AGREEMENT TTIP 

Summary  

This is a report on future developments in agro-biotechnology and genetic engineering. It focuses on the kinds of genetically engineered organisms for which market authorisation has been applied in the EU and those that are in the pipeline and might soon be on the market. Special attention has been given to new genome technologies. Furthermore, it includes a discussion of the potential influence of the planned free trade agreement (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP) on the authorisation of new genetically engineered organisms for use in agriculture and food production. 

The majority of currently pending market applications are for genetically engineered plants with herbicide resistance and insecticidal toxicity. These same traits also appear in so-called stacked events, which are a combination of several genetically engineered plants in one event. The stacks of the highest order (so far) are plants that are resistant to up to four herbicides and at the same time produce half a dozen insecticidal toxins. Stacking such genes ultimately means pyramiding risks and uncertainties.  

Some of the genetically engineered trees and animals that might be used in agriculture or forestry in the near future show a high potential for spreading uncontrollably in the environment. These risks are particularly relevant for planned field trials of genetically engineered olive flies and forest trees such as poplar.  

In recent years, several new genome technologies have been developed that allow a radical transformation of the genome. These new technologies are summarised in this report as ’synthetic genome technologies’. They are already applied in practice without this being widely known. Not only are these new technologies associated with new risks but also with ethical problems concerning genetic identity and the integrity of living beings.  

In the near future, it is to be expected that industry will want to market a larger number of risky new products for use in agriculture and food production in the EU. At the same, the new free trade agreement (TTIP) between EU and USA might facilitate placing such products on the market. This report presents some of the arguments used by the proponents of this policy who want to pave the way for the marketing of these products.  

As the report shows, current developments are moving away from the traditional systems of breeding and agriculture and expanding into technologies that are complex, failure-prone and associated with a great number of uncertainties regarding risks. If society wants to allow the use of some of these technologies and applications there is no alternative but to strengthen the precautionary principle in parallel. This is the only way to deal with the many uncertainties and factual limits of knowledge in a rational way.  

The report recommends

› strengthening the precautionary principle;

› extending ethical debates on the protection of genetic identity and integrity of living beings;

› a change in agricultural policy to include more comprehensive protection of the environment and enhancement of biodiversity 

The implementation of these recommendations should have priority above further releases and market authorisations.

 

Conclusions and Recommendations  

This report shows that genetically engineered organisms pose growing risks in light of current and future developments. Some of the most relevant reasons are: 

› an increasing number of combinations of additional DNA sequences and relevant traits in so-called stacked events and related accumulation of uncertainties and risks; 

› introduction of new herbicide resistance traits leading to an increase in residues in the plants from spraying with the complementary herbicides;

› insertion of new variants of insecticidal toxins by using synthetically derived DNA;

› introduction of new traits such as higher tolerance to drought or new quality in oil which generate new uncertainties in risk assessment; 

› environmental releases of genetically engineered organisms such as trees and insects which have a high potential to spread without control in the environment;

› increasing use of technologies in plants and animals that allow radical alteration of the genome (“Synthetic Genome Technologies”) .  

 

Against this background we make the following recommendations:   

1. Enhancement of the precautionary principle

› Standards for risk assessment of genetically engineered organisms should be raised; combinatorial effects, long term impacts and residues from spraying should be taken into account. If doubts remain about safety, the burden of proof should be with the applicant. Post-marketing monitoring should be much more detailed and comprehensive. 

› Genetically engineered organisms which cannot be controlled in their spatio-temporal dimension, should not be allowed for release. Precautionary measures only can be taken if a genetically engineered organism can be removed from the environment if this is urgently required.

› Regulate and label invasive methods of DNA alteration.

 

2. Definition of ethical boundaries 

› New methods of making radical changes in the genome have become available which require the definition of ethical boundaries to protect genomic identity and the integrity of living organisms. 

 

3. Implementation of a coherent agricultural policy 

› The ’arms race’ in the fields as observed in the context of crops such as SmartStax is not compatible with the aims of an environmentally friendly, multifunctional and sustainable agriculture. Targeted strategies are needed to minimise insecticides and herbicides in the fields and to enhance biodiversity in and around the fields. Decision-making in the EU on imports should also take into account the impact of cultivation of genetically engineered plants in other regions. 

› The implementation of these recommendations should have priority above further releases and market authorisations.

February 13th, 2014 | Category: Trends in Industry
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