Door is open for gene technology

When it comes to the trade in seed potatoes and innovative breeding, we have a market leader with potato trading house HZPC from Joure. It is a company to be proud of.

In the Financieele Dagblad I have read that they are moving to Canada due to breeding with a new DNA technique, because that innovative technique is not (yet) allowed in the Netherlands. Robert Graveland, the innovation director at the company, predicts that the technology in question (gene editing) will also be allowed here in a few years. However, HZPC does not want to wait for that, because developments are going fast. That is why the company is moving to Canada. mortal sin.

No visible difference
The difference between potatoes that have been improved with 'gene editing' and 'normal' potatoes cannot be discerned. Not by laymen, but also not by specialized researchers. To quote the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine: "There is no evidence that current GM crops pose a greater risk to health than conventional crops." Or René Custers, the molecular biologist at the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology: "Today, genetically modified crops are the most controlled crops in terms of safety." Yet the European Union keeps the door (almost) locked. That leads to a bizarre situation.  

Without realizing it, we come into contact with genetically modified crops on a daily basis. This is because more than 70% of the cotton comes from a genetically modified plant. Elsewhere in the world there is plenty of room for these new techniques. However, Europe keeps its borders closed, under the guise of health. Of course that's important. In fact: the most important thing, but if many studies have already shown that no differences are demonstrable, and the doors are opened elsewhere, then it is ridiculous that Europe clings to old ideas.

Rules
The working method in Europe is as follows: rules force producers to have thorough investigations carried out in the case of gene modification to guarantee safety. I can follow that. Only then can these producers apply for a market licence. Totally fine. The file requirements are strict (and therefore very expensive), so that only the largest companies can afford to develop new gene techniques. The EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) can then decide on the basis of this submitted file whether a crop is safe for public health, although this does not automatically lead to a permit.

This is because the European countries still have to decide whether this crop can be sold on the European market, and a consensus is rarely reached. That is why these files are passed on to the European Commission, which then decides for itself whether the product can be authorized or not. To date, approximately 60 gene-modified products have been licensed in this way.

With this uncertainty ahead, you as a company are as good as crazy to invest in new gene techniques. Then emigrating is smarter. However, this is a real loss for us as the most innovative agricultural country.

Johan Geroms

Johan Geeroms is Risk Director at Euler Hermes, the world market leader in credit insurance and corporate debt collection. In his blogs, Geeroms often focuses on developments in the agricultural sector.

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.