The ethical concerns about transgenic crops

Ricroch, Agnés; Guillaume-Hofnung, Michèle; Kuntz, Marcel

doi:10.1042/bcj20170794

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…However, addressing the resulting ethical questions is fraught with difficulty and conflict. Various approaches for dealing with ethical questions surrounding the use of GM crops have been recently reviewed (Ricroch, Guillaume‐Hofnung, & Kuntz, ).…”

Section: The Gm Debate—what Impact Does the Eu Gm Approvals Process Hmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of the EU GMO regulatory framework for plant genome editing

Hundleby

Harwood

2018

Food and Energy Security

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New plant breeding technologies, such as genome editing, are enabling new crop varieties to be developed far quicker and with greater precision and scope than achievable using conventional methods. These advances could help farmers address the challenges of climate change, sustainability, and global food security. However, despite their potential, the uptake of these new technologies has been slowed down due to the uncertainty associated with the regulation of genome edited crops. For many European consumers, their view of new breeding technologies is influenced by many factors. Those who have never faced a major food crisis may not sufficiently appreciate the challenges posed by a projected rise of 2 billion in the human population by 2050. In addition, consumers with a regular and plentiful supply of food may not have to consider how their food is produced, or appreciate the challenges EU farmers are already facing to meet future demand. Misleading online articles, questioning the safety and ethics of these “new” biotech foods, can also lead consumers to be reluctant to accept them. Consequently, Europe's mixed view on biotech crops may also be hindering their adoption in countries who have even more to gain from the technology. In this review, we discuss the current data on global and EU GM crop adoption and the potential impact a new wave of crop development may have for agriculture. We reflect on how the EU has viewed GM crops, and we consider the future of both genetic modification (GM) and genome editing (GE) in the EU. We explore lessons learnt from the adoption of GM crops and examine the potential impact the recent decision not to exempt genome edited crops from the EU GMO Directive, will have on EU farmers, scientists, consumers, trading countries, and the rest of the world.

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Section: The Gm Debate—what Impact Does the Eu Gm Approvals Process Hmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of the EU GMO regulatory framework for plant genome editing

Hundleby

Harwood

2018

Food and Energy Security

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“…With the advancement of science and technology, molecular techniques and transgenic technology have been widely used in plant breeding worldwide. Although transgenic technology is considered as a fast and effective method to obtain salt-tolerant varieties, the public acceptance of genetically modified (GM) crops remains a major stumbling block in most countries [ 38 , 39 , 40 ]. In this context, PGPRs could potentially minimize the detrimental effects of salinity stress on plant growth and yield without triggering these public/governmental concerns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving Performance of Salt-Grown Crops by Exogenous Application of Plant Growth Regulators

et al. 2021

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Soil salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses restricting plant growth and development. Application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) is a possible practical means for minimizing salinity-induced yield losses, and can be used in addition to or as an alternative to crop breeding for enhancing salinity tolerance. The PGRs auxin, cytokinin, nitric oxide, brassinosteroid, gibberellin, salicylic acid, abscisic acid, jasmonate, and ethylene have been advocated for practical use to improve crop performance and yield under saline conditions. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the effectiveness of various PGRs in ameliorating the detrimental effects of salinity on plant growth and development, and elucidates the physiological and genetic mechanisms underlying this process by linking PGRs with their downstream targets and signal transduction pathways. It is shown that, while each of these PGRs possesses an ability to alter plant ionic and redox homeostasis, the complexity of interactions between various PGRs and their involvement in numerous signaling pathways makes it difficult to establish an unequivocal causal link between PGRs and their downstream effectors mediating plants’ adaptation to salinity. The beneficial effects of PGRs are also strongly dependent on genotype, the timing of application, and the concentration used. The action spectrum of PGRs is also strongly dependent on salinity levels. Taken together, this results in a rather narrow “window” in which the beneficial effects of PGR are observed, hence limiting their practical application (especially under field conditions). It is concluded that, in the light of the above complexity, and also in the context of the cost–benefit analysis, crop breeding for salinity tolerance remains a more reliable avenue for minimizing the impact of salinity on plant growth and yield. Further progress in the field requires more studies on the underlying cell-based mechanisms of interaction between PGRs and membrane transporters mediating plant ion homeostasis.

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