EU votes in favor of NGTs and agricultural biotechnological progress

Thrilled to be part of the conversation in a recent article by Martin Greenacre on sciencebusiness.net (https://lnkd.in/gPQ7TGqe).

At Hudson River Biotechnology, we’re excited by the EU’s move to embrace New Genomic Technologies (#NGTs) like #CRISPR, which could revolutionize agriculture. This is more than just a win for us; it’s a potential #gamechanger for farmers across Europe, helping tackle global challenges like #climatechange and #foodsustainability.

A major talking point? Not so much about the use of NGTs during plant breeding, but rather around #patenting of food crops and traits and their commercial implications. Patents are an important incentive to drive innovation and related investments, and a key aspect of future legislation will be how it differentiates between intellectual property (IP) related to plant varieties and plant traits, and the methods used to introduce such traits. For now, European Parliament’s latest stance aims to ensure innovation isn’t hindered by patents, favoring Community Plant Variety Rights (#CPVR) to keep breeding accessible and innovative.

As these discussions evolve, we’re keenly watching how this will shape access to genetic materials for breeding, pushing for a future where #innovation flourishes. At HRB, we’re committed to being part of a solution-oriented conversation between proponents and sceptics of NGTs to find a path forward that benefits everyone.

#AgricultureInnovation #CRISPR #SustainableFarming