Genetically modified food.
This pair of words has been like a swear word in Europe for decades. Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, were also visibly opposed in Finland with a citizens’ campaign about ten years ago.
The subject still evokes strong emotions and fears – but now the reputation of editing is wanted to improve.
According to the European Commission and many experts, genetic or more specifically genome editing of plants is currently urgently needed. With it, plant species can be made more resistant to the changing climate and at the same time improve the food security of Europeans.
Last week, the European Commission presented its legislative proposal on new genomic technologies used in plant breeding.
The show has been awaited for a long time. Although the technology has developed tremendously, use has been very difficult, almost impossible, in Europe until now. Now they want to loosen GMO regulation for certain new technologies.
The new varieties must better withstand extreme weather conditions
At Jokioin, Kanta-Hämee, the development of new processing techniques is closely monitored.
The premises of Boreal, Finland’s only large-scale plant breeding company, are located here, where, for example, varieties of barley, oats and peas are bred to suit Finnish conditions. In Jokioi, new plant lines are made by crossing.
Winter wheat is currently growing in one of Boreal’s experimental greenhouses, which we want to make more productive and more drought-resistant than before. In the other one, a broad bean is blooming. The yield is also being improved, as the use of broad beans has increased in recent years.
– In plant breeding, a lot of work is already being done to adapt to climate change, says Boreal’s breeding director Merja Veteläinen.
– In the future, we need to be able to bring in varieties that are much more drought-resistant than the current varieties, and on the other hand, they should also be able to withstand heavy rains at harvest time.
Will modified supervegetables be eaten in Finland soon?
According to Veteläinen, the new EU legislation would bring plant breeders opportunities for more precise and faster breeding work. However, more research information is still needed on the characteristics of the plants that we want to modify, before the techniques can be utilized, he says.
– However, there must be the right type of science-based regulation in the background in order to [tutkimus]work can be started.
Also the grain representative of the Finnish Federation of Agricultural and Forestry Producers (MTK), which represents farmers Max Schulman welcomes the Commission’s proposal. According to him, Finnish farmers and consumers will benefit from the relaxation of regulation.
– It ensures that the food supply works and that the quality of grains and other plants can be maintained, which in turn contributes to less food waste. So here are a lot of things that new breeding methods can bring.
But what will result from the relaxation of GMO legislation? Will modified supervegetables be eaten in Finland soon?
The negotiating official of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health Kirsi Törmäkankaan according to this you should not worry. Törmäkangas is also the secretary-general of the genetic engineering board operating in connection with the ministry.
– Fertilization only applies to techniques where similar mutations are made to the plant as with traditional methods. No DNA from a foreign species remains in the cultivated plant species.
One such technology is the so-called gene scissors. The technology, developed about ten years ago, is considered a breakthrough in gene editing. Gene scissors can be used to edit the genome of animals, plants and microorganisms very precisely.
Törmäkangas also reminds that all foodstuffs – as well as food plants processed with new genomic technologies – are subject to the same safety requirements.
– So you shouldn’t worry about these any more than about any other food that consumers can get their hands on.
The presentation arouses opposition, there is a long struggle ahead
In practice, as a result of the relaxation of the legislation, more nutritious vegetables could be sold on store shelves, for example. Or, for example, tomatoes that have been grown with fewer pesticides or potatoes that have been genetically engineered to be more resistant to diseases.
The goal is also to ensure the yield of the varieties. At best, it could keep vegetable prices more affordable if there is plenty of supply.
However, it is only a matter of the Commission’s proposal. We know that the negotiations are full of work: first, the member states and the European Parliament have to form their positions and then reconcile them.
Finland’s new government does not yet have a position on the proposal, but basically the attitude from Finland’s direction has been positive, says Törmäkangas from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
– We have agreed that this current EU genetic engineering legislation no longer meets its purpose and that it must be updated.
However, he warns that negotiations between member countries are becoming difficult. The topic is so politicized not only between EU member states, but also within them.
Many parties have already had time to express their opposition to the Commission’s proposal.
This has been done, for example environmental organization Greenpeaceaccording to which the relaxation of GMO legislation weakens the safety of products and the rights of consumers.
One concern of environmental organizations is also related to the fact that, with the loosening of legislation, European agricultural production may be increasingly concentrated on the shoulders of large players. The concern is generally related to GM crops.
Researcher at the University of Bonn Matin Qaim estimated at the beginning of July For Deutsche Welle, that the concerns stem from actors like the giant agricultural company Monsanto. Monsanto is the world’s largest plant breeder and producer of preservatives. It sells seeds to farmers at a high price, Qaim tells the channel.
According to Qaimi, the agricultural sector should not be held by only a few companies, but according to him, the concentration of the sector has nothing to do with genetic engineering itself. In his opinion, regulation should ensure that there is competition in the industry.
Tiedeykkönen discussed genetic modification in food production in his episode published in spring 2021.