Webinar: Unlocking Competitive and Sustainable Agriculture Through Plant Breeding Innovation

New genomic techniques (NGTs) in plant breeding offer transformative potential for sustainable agriculture by enabling faster, more precise development of crop varieties with improved yields, climate resilience, and reduced environmental impact. These techniques replicate natural mutation processes that have been safely used in conventional breeding for over a century, yet face regulatory challenges in the EU where they are currently treated similarly to GMOs despite scientific evidence suggesting they should be regulated like conventional varieties. The technology can reduce breeding costs from €2-3 million to approximately €500,000 per variety and accelerate development timelines from over 10 years to just a couple of years. However, regulatory delays in the EU create competitiveness concerns, as countries like Japan and the UK have already adopted more favorable frameworks. Successful implementation requires balancing innovation incentives with fair access, public engagement, and international regulatory harmonization to address global food security challenges while maintaining environmental sustainability.