The group’s Vera Hoondert welcomes the December decision – as long as there is a level playing field globally
What is your reaction to December’s legislative step on gene-edited fruits and vegetables?
Vera Hoondert: For some time now, the European Commission has been working on legislation governing the use of new breeding methods for vegetables, fruits, grains and flowers. Its goal is to revise and amend the law regarding genetic modification to bring it more closely into line with modern technological capabilities. One example is gene editing, for example by Crispr-Cas, which allows precise changes to plant DNA.
During this process to amend the law, the European Commission consulted with representatives of various stakeholder groups, including EU citizens, breeding companies, growers (both conventional and organic) and NGOs. The European Commission, the European Council and European Parliament are taking the various views into consideration during the decision-making process.
Conventional crossing and selection methods already enable the development and introduction of innovative varieties that meet the needs of growers, retailers and consumers. These include varieties that are better able to cope with the effects of climate change (for example, with better heat tolerance, salt tolerance, etc). New breeding methods merely shorten the time to market.
At Rijk Zwaan, we welcome the new legislation. However, we believe it is important that all stakeholder considerations are taken into account, and that – if the technology is not heavily regulated as a GMO in Europe – there is a worldwide level playing field.
What opportunities does the ruling potentially create?
VH: New breeding methods such as Crispr-Cas9 are a way to accelerate the breeding process. Knowledge about plants remains vital though.
These new methods are tools that can speed up processes. However, actual scientific knowledge about plants, genomes, relationships to phenotypes and the agronomic performance of varieties around the world is absolutely essential and a criterion to apply new breeding methods.
How do new technologies benefit Rijk Zwaan and its partners?
VH: Developing a new variety takes between six and 16 years. Rijk Zwaan invests 30 per cent of its annual turnover in research and development – that’s around €15mn each month.
Examples include DNA marker technology, which helps us quickly identify plants with desired traits such as resistance, yield and colour.
We use AI technologies like digital phenotyping to speed up breeding and make data-driven decisions. This helps breeders select best-performing varieties and combine plant data with environmental factors such as rainfall and temperature.
Rijk Zwaan breeds varieties for modern growing methods like vertical farming and hydroponics. Together with partners, we test light recipes, compact growth and options for mechanical harvesting. This helps growers deliver fresh produce year-round to retailers, the foodservice sector and processors.
