年Food-Tech

2023年5月22日,

極端天氣氣候變化造成的損害了歐洲食品生產。麵對日益惡化的情況下,分裂歐盟決策者正在討論轉基因作物的新規則。去年的幹旱肆虐歐洲大陸的農場,饑餓從西班牙橄欖收成到匈牙利的玉米和向日葵作物,意大利和羅馬尼亞的玉米地法國乳製品生產。一些人認為歐洲的問題的答案是解除對基因修改技術產生更好的作物。其他人聲稱這將是一個“煙幕”來避免從根本上改變歐盟的農場。支持者說種子生產使用基因編輯技術更容易受到幹旱和疾病,需要更少的水。歐盟委員會,歐盟的執行機構,在7月將提出一項法律,將放鬆規則在植物上產生的某些新的基因組技術(NGTs),品牌的批評隻是“新的轉基因生物體(GMOs)”。建議將打開一個新前線在歐盟的27個成員國——與幹旱國家尤其是支持——歐盟立法者之間。新技術的混合基因組編輯工具,改變植物的基因組成沒有外來基因物質,與“轉基因”轉基因生物,包括來自其他物種的DNA。當前規則委員會說轉基因生物包括許可和標簽是“不適用”的新技術。 "Plants produced by new genomic techniques can support sustainability," the EU's health commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, said last month. The proposals, she said, "will strongly signal to farmers, researchers and industry that this is the way forward in the EU". In a document from February seen by AFP, the commission looked at whether it should treat traditional seeds and those produced using the new techniques, with modifications that could in theory have happened naturally, as the same. France, severely affected by drought last summer, backs changing the rules. In April, French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau expressed his concerns over what he called Europe's "delay", arguing there should be a push to allow biotechnology that gives Europe the tools to deal with climate change by producing more resistant seeds. Late last year, his Spanish counterpart, Luis Planas, hailed the techniques as a "magnificent tool to have seeds that need less water and fertiliser". Other countries are more wary. In March, Austria criticised a commission study that it claimed was based on "assumptions" rather than scientific data and called for a comprehensive analysis of any environmental and health risks. Cyprus, Germany, Hungary and Luxembourg support that position. The powerful European farming lobby group Copa-Cogeca supports the new rules. "If we need to supply society with food in Europe, and if we want to be self-sufficient, then we need to adapt rules," said Thor Gunnar Kofoed, chair of the seed working group at Copa-Cogeca. A majority of EU lawmakers support relaxing the rules. The European Parliament's biggest political group, the conservative European People's Party (EPP), opposes any binding target to cut pesticides but pushes for new rules on the "innovative" technology that would "stimulate research, investment and jobs". Pascal Canfin, a French centrist MEP and the chairman of the parliament's environment committee, said the new biotechnology could "be part of the useful solutions for the agricultural transition" if they help avoid using chemical pesticides. But unlike the EPP, he supports a cap on pesticides. Left-wing parties in the EU parliament are resisting specific laws for NGTs, insisting that the new technology already comes under current wide-ranging rules on GMOs. The forthcoming battle over the draft law, which will have to be negotiated between the member states and parliament, is likely to focus on safeguards. The Greens want a full risk assessment to avoid unintended effects and force producers to ensure detection and traceability methods, and make labelling compulsory. Labelling would put off consumers who prefer GMO-free food, said Mute Schimpf, a campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe, who criticised the reform. "This proposal is a smokescreen to avoid the debate we should have on shifting to a truly sustainable farming system," she told AFP. © Copyright AFP 2023. All rights reserved. IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Join the Discussion