Genetic Modification for Agriculture—Proposed Revision of GMO Regulation in Australia

Abstract

Genetic engineering (GM) of crops, modified with DNA transfer between species, has been highly regulated for over two decades. Now, genome editing (GE) enables a range of DNA alterations, from single base pair changes to precise gene insertion with site-directed nucleases (SDNs). Past regulations, established according to the precautionary principle of avoiding potential risks to human health and the environment, are predicated on fears fanned by well-funded and emotional anti-GM campaigns. These fears ignore the safety record of GM crops over the last 25 years and the benefits of GM to crop productivity, disease and pest resistance, and the environment. GE is now superseding GM, and public education is needed about its benefits and its potential to meet the challenges of climate change for crops. World population will exceed 9 billion by 2050, and world CO2 levels are now over 400 ppm in contrast with a pre-industrial 280 ppm, leading to a projected 1.5 °C global warming by 2050, with more stressful crop environments. The required abiotic and biotic stress tolerances can be introgressed from crop wild relatives (CWR) into domestic crops via GE. Restrictive regulations need to be lifted to facilitate GE technologies for sustainable agriculture in Australia and the world.

Chemical Composition and Fatty Acid Profile of the Pectoralis major Muscle in Broiler Chickens Fed Diets with Full-Fat Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae Meal

“…Soybean meal for animal diets is produced mainly from genetically modified (GM) soybean plants. In 2018, GM soybeans had a 78% share of the world production of GM crops [ 5 ]. The area under soybean cultivation varies across continents due to the climate and soil requirements of soybean plants as well as the regulations and restrictions on GM crops [ 6 ].…”

Genetically engineered crops for sustainably enhanced food production systems

“…The intellectual property rights for the GM crops provided protection to the crop varieties and limited farmers in using the seeds of GM crops for another cycle ( Rodrigues et al., 2011 ). Moreover, intellectual property rights created a barrier for innovation as it provided a limited access to GM crops for several purposes ( Redden, 2021 ).…”

Exploring and exploiting cuticle biosynthesis for abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in wheat and barley

“…It is, therefore, vital for breeders to identify new cuticle biosynthesis genes conferring plant stress resilience without yield penalty. Moreover, strict policy regulations have been imposed on GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in some countries, and these regulations needed to be modified for placing wheat and barley varieties developed by genetic engineering and/or genome editing of cuticle biosynthesis genes into markets ( Wolt and Wolf, 2018 ; Eriksson et al., 2020 ; Redden, 2021 ; Hundleby et al., 2022 ).…”