Seed association explores role of genome editing in future of food
What role can genome editing play in plant breeding programs seeking to overcome today’s agricultural challenges?
The American Seed Trade Association and U.S.-based agriculture companies, including GDM Seeds, J.R. Simplot Co. and Pairwise, recently convened in Japan to explore breeding tools — including genome editing — to bring improved varieties to market, according to a news release.
Led by Fan-Li Chou, ASTA’s senior vice president for scientific affairs and policy, ASTA member company executives from GDM, J.R. Simplot Co. and Pairwise met with Japanese government officials and industry partners and participated in a technical seminar at the U.S. Embassy as well as a media outreach webinar hosted by the Network for Breeding by Genome Editing, the release said.
“The meetings deepened the collaboration between the U.S. and Japanese seed industries and our public sector partners,” Chou said in the release. “Our conversations highlighted how genome editing integrated into plant breeding programs develops solutions to challenges facing agriculture and food systems.
“Throughout our meetings in Japan, and in our ongoing advocacy across the United States and with our global partners, ASTA continues to advocate for pro-innovation policies that ensure sustained public and private sector investments in agriculture sciences and support the use of all breeding tools, including genome editing, in plant breeding to bring improved varieties to market,” Chou continued.
ASTA says it sees Japan as a global leader in implementing genome editing regulatory policy that incentivizes innovation from academia, scientists and small- and medium-sized companies.
“Japan’s commitment to pioneering innovations, coupled with the government's unwavering support for the development of innovation-friendly regulatory frameworks, serves as a model for other nations to galvanize towards globally harmonized regulatory policies,” Agustin Herrera Vegas, global intellectual property counsel for GDM, said in the release.
GDM, J.R. Simplot Co. and Pairwise represent the diversity of ASTA’s members, as well as the diversity of crops that can benefit from integrating genome editing into a plant breeding program, says ASTA.
"As food companies, we’re all faced with answering the question: How will we continue to feed our growing world population? Genome editing provides some wonderful potential to help us do just that,” Gary Rudgers, senior director of regulatory affairs for Simplot Plant Sciences, said in the release. “We’re excited to be here and exchange knowledge on our experiences developing genome edited crops and the steps in bringing them to the market.”
As seed is one input that cannot be substituted, ASTA says its members use the latest innovations across the industry — including genome editing — to bring improved plant varieties to farmers around the world to meet the food, feed and fiber needs of a growing population.
“Pairwise is working to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in food and agriculture — challenges that need to be addressed in years, not decades,” Dan Jenkins, vice president of regulatory and government affairs for Pairwise, said in the release. “This includes pioneering the application of CRISPR technology to improve the convenience of nutrient-dense foods and develop new crop varieties so that producers can do more with less in the face of a changing climate.
“To solve these problems, we must accelerate innovation while simultaneously closing the gap between technology, consumers, growers and regulators,” Jenkins continued. “Bilateral collaboration will be an imperative driver of success in delivering these needed solutions.”
