In a recent interview for IEG Policy's new special report titled Smart Solutions for Food and Farming: A Policy Perspective, EuropaBio's Secretary General, Joanna Dupont-Inglis talked about her organization's views on the European Union's policy on GM crops and genome editing.

Dupont-Englis said she objects the European Court of Justice ruling in July 2018 because the ruling could cause European life science innovation to grind to a halt, citing that Europe's world-leading scientific community is also calling for change. She added that the EU's approval system has already prevented farmers from accessing products that have been used safely for decades in other parts of the globe. According to her, the existing system for GMOs in the EU could and should work much more smoothly, even within the existing Directive. 

Dupont-Inglis said, "Any products classified as GMOs have little chance of ever gaining fair market access in the EU. EuropaBio firmly believes that, in order to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, a proportionate, fit-for-purpose, and science-based approach to modern technologies, such as innovative biotechnology and life sciences, is essential."

As EuropaBio's Secretary General, she sees the promising potential applications of genome editing in the development of pest and disease resistant fruit and vegetables, products with lower allergenic potential, healthier soybean oils that reduce trans-fats, cereals that use water more efficiently, as well as crops with improved yields, and those that can reduce waste.

Read more about the interview in IEG Vu.

Figure: Joanna Dupont-Inglis says European farmers could produce new crops with higher yields and more climate resilience if rules were changed