New NGT hunting may lead to fewer seed varieties for organic farmers

A new EU legislation on NGT plants - new genomic techniques - excludes the use of all NGT plants in organic farming. NGT is a modern breeding technique that allows targeted modification of a plant's genetic material, thereby shortening the breeding process, which can traditionally take 10 years or more to achieve a specific variety trait. The legislation has been in development for three years, and the outcome could impact organic farming by reducing the number of seed varieties available to organic farmers in the future, according to a press release from the Innovation Center for Organic Farming. The reason is that in organic farming, it is common to use conventionally bred varieties and subsequently propagate them under organic cultivation conditions. However, with NGT entering the market, it is expected that conventional producers will increasingly adopt this technique, which could reduce the number of conventional varieties that organic farmers can propagate. "There is therefore a great need to focus on breeding and maintaining a supply of non-NGT quality varieties with the necessary disease resistances and other important traits for organic cultivation," writes the innovation center. The project will solve this Therefore, the Innovation Center is working on the project 'Organic vegetable seeds now - and in the future' to future-proof the supply of organic vegetable seeds for use in Denmark in the right qualities, varieties, and quantities. This year, dialogue meetings will be held with seed companies, and recommendations will be made to the specialist groups supporting the Danish Agency for Green Area Development and Water Environment to assess the supply of organic seeds and whether a species or variety group should be placed in Category 1 in OrganicXseeds. When a crop is moved to Category 1, only non-organic seed can be used for very specific purposes such as experimental work, conservation of genetic resources, or similar. "This work aims to push forward the development of organic seed production and breeding and to meet the EU's goal of 100% use of organic seed by 2037 in organic production. At the same time, it will ensure access to suitable varieties in organic production in the future," writes the innovation center. Patent applications are possible NGT plants are divided into Category 1 and 2, and both categories are excluded from organic farming. An evaluation of the impact on organic agriculture is expected, with the possibility of proposing adjustments later. It is also expected that unintentional and unavoidable presence of NGT (Category 1) on an organic farm will not, in itself, be considered a violation of organic rules. The new law also allows for patent applications based on NGT. This has been a highly controversial point in the legislative process, as there are concerns that it will limit access to genetic diversity and hinder further breeding. Measures have been introduced, including increased transparency and follow-up evaluations, but the issue of patents' impact on access to genetic material remains unresolved.