Opinions
Jürg Niklaus

«Plant breeding calls for liberal rules»

Methods such as the so-called gene scissors massively improve and accelerate the traditional method of breeding. The federal government is in the process of adapting its legal regulations. These should by no means be more restrictive than those in the EU, writes Jürg Niklaus in the «Neuen Zürcher Zeitung».

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Parliament has instructed the Federal Council to submit a draft decree by mid-2024 at the latest for a risk-based authorisation regulation for plants that are bred using new breeding technologies – in particular the so-called gene scissors. No foreign genetic material may be inserted into these plants. In addition, they must offer proven added value for agriculture, the environment or consumers compared to conventional breeding methods.

There is a great deal of dynamism in the biotechnology sector around the world: new genome editing methods offer the possibility of precisely modifying the genetic material of a plant. These changes simulate processes that occur continuously in nature through spontaneous mutations. In contrast to previous genetic engineering, the key point is that no foreign genetic material or viruses are introduced into the plant cell. Carrots remain carrots, potatoes remain potatoes. With the new breeding methods, we are doing exactly what we have been doing for decades with untargeted mutagenesis in this country without much fuss – simply much more precisely.

Regulators in many countries are paving the way for the advantages of the new methods to be realised. Even the cautious EU is now moving in a progressive direction. It is doing so for good reason, as food production is under severe pressure: the population is growing. Weather turbulence is making cultivation more difficult, while at the same time pesticide consumption is expected to fall. And political crises and wars are jeopardising food supplies. New plant varieties are therefore in demand. Using conventional methods, it takes 10 to 15 years to breed a new apple variety, for example. We don't have that time. With conventional methods, plant breeding is constantly lagging behind the challenges.

That is why the EU Parliament has now decided to exempt plants that are bred using the new breeding methods and fulfil certain criteria from the current genetic engineering regulations. In doing so, it is following the lead of the scientific community, the majority of whom are convinced of the opportunities offered by the new methods. In January, no fewer than 35 Nobel Prize winners and over 1000 scientists declared themselves in favour of this.


What does this mean for Switzerland as a business location?

One thing is clear: the days of the gene technology moratorium are numbered. Now is the opportunity to take responsibility in the interests of efficient, sustainable plant production, which is the basis of all nutrition. Legislation demands a risk-based authorisation system. It has been scientifically proven that plants from new breeding methods pose no greater risk to health and the environment than those from conventional plant breeding. This finding must be incorporated into the future authorisation regulation, otherwise it will not be risk-based.

The Federal Administration is apparently working on an independent Swiss solution that is to be more restrictive than the EU proposal. For its part, the Federal Council regularly refers to the allegedly high level of scepticism among the population. However, a recent study by Angela Bearth (ETH) and two of her professional colleagues from the USA shows a different picture: almost half of those surveyed are open to the new breeding methods.

Politically, it is always convenient to label such a project «Swiss approach» or «Swiss finish». In doing so, we fail to recognise the scientific findings of the past 20 years and the resulting potential. This is a shot in the arm. Technical barriers to trade are poison for successful Swiss plant cultivation and for the entire value chain.

On the one hand, we are losing added value abroad, from research to breeding, propagation, cultivation and processing. On the other hand, we are missing out on the opportunity to breed plants independently and locally that are customised to local needs. Plant cultivation that is appropriate to the location and a successful value chain are dependent on a smooth exchange with other countries and in particular with the EU. We are therefore calling for regulation that is at least as liberal as that of the EU. It is high time.

Jürg Niklaus, 53, is President of the «Sorten für morgen» association, which campaigns at a political level for new methods of plant breeding. A doctor of law, he was a member of the Swiss Federal Competition Commission and worked as an independent lawyer in Dübendorf, specialising in commercial and agricultural law.

This guest article was first published in the «Neue Zürcher Zeitung» on 9 March 2024.

Kindly note:

We, a non-native editorial team value clear and faultless communication. At times we have to prioritize speed over perfection, utilizing tools, that are still learning.

We are deepL sorry for any observed stylistic or spelling errors.

Reorientation in «genetic engineering»

Raphael Bühlmann

Raphael Bühlmann

Agricultural and business economist FH.

Politics seems resistant to facts

Beat Keller

Beat Keller

Beat Keller ist Professor für Molekulare Pflanzenbiologie an der Universität Zürich

«Plant breeding calls for liberal rules»

Jürg Niklaus

Jürg Niklaus

Jürg Niklaus has a doctorate in law and is an advocate of plant breeding.

More pesticides, more genetic engineering: How we are overcoming hunger.

Markus Somm

Markus Somm

Journalist, publicist, publisher and historian

«The fear of genetically modified plants is unwarranted»

Anke Fossgreen

Anke Fossgreen

Head of Knowledge Team Tamedia

«Politicians must avoid pushing prices up even more»

Babette Sigg Frank

Babette Sigg Frank

President of the Swiss Consumer Forum (KF)

Seizing the opportunity of green biotechnology

Roman Mazzotta

Roman Mazzotta

Country President Syngenta Switzerland

«Sustainability means more»

Hendrik Varnholt

Hendrik Varnholt

Journalist at Lebensmittel Zeitung

«One-third organic farming does not solve the problem»

Olaf Deininger

Olaf Deininger

Development Editor-in-Chief Agrar-Medien

«Ecological methods alone won’t cut it»

Saori Dubourg

Saori Dubourg

“Ecological methods alone won’t cut it”

«Most fears about pesticides are misplaced»

Michelle Miller

Michelle Miller

Columnist at Genetic Literacy Project and AGDaily

Agriculture needs new technologies

Erik Fyrwald

Erik Fyrwald

CEO Syngenta Group

«Modern pesticides can help fight climate change»

Jon Parr

Jon Parr

President of Syngenta Crop Protection

«Who is afraid of the evil GMOs?»

Jürg Vollmer

Jürg Vollmer

Editor-in-Chief of «die grüne» magazine

Content in German

«What plant breeding brings us»

Achim Walter

Achim Walter

Professor of Crop Science, ETH Zurich

Content in German

«Research and work place needs impetus»

Jan Lucht

Jan Lucht

Head of Biotechnology at Scienceindustries

Content in German

«Agriculture plays a major role»

Jan Grenz

Jan Grenz

Lecturer in Sustainability, School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL

«Understanding nature’s mechanisms better»

Urs Niggli

Urs Niggli

Agricultural scientist and president of Agroecology Science

«For food security, we need genuine Swiss production»

Jil Schuller

Jil Schuller

Editor «BauernZeitung»

«Lay people completely disregard the dose»

Michael Siegrist

Michael Siegrist

Professor of Consumer Behaviour, ETH Zurich

Content in German

«Is organic really healthier?»

Anna Bozzi

Anna Bozzi

Head of Nutrition and Agriculture at scienceindustries

Content in German

«Genetic engineering and environmental protection go hand in hand»

Dr. Teresa Koller

Dr. Teresa Koller

Researcher at the Institute of Plant and Microbiology at the University of Zurich

«The «Greta» generation will rigorously dispel paradigms.»

Bruno Studer

Bruno Studer

Professor for Molecular Plant Breeding, ETH Zurich

Content in German

«Overcoming the urban-rural divide with constructive agricultural policy»

Jürg Vollmer

Jürg Vollmer

Editor-in-Chief of «die grüne» magazine

Content in German

«We protect what we use»

Regina Ammann

Regina Ammann

Head of Business Sustainability, Syngenta Switzerland

Content in German

Related articles

PFAS regulation in Switzerland: Not faster, but better
Politics

PFAS regulation in Switzerland: Not faster, but better

Some people also call PFAS ‘forever chemicals’. Their use must be regulated as wisely as possible. To do this, the federal government first needs to do precise groundwork, according to Stefan Brupbacher, Urs Furrer and Stephan Mumenthaler.

When surveys create fear
New Breeding Technologies

When surveys create fear

Surveys on technologies such as genetic engineering often focus on risks and spread panic instead of promoting a balanced discussion of the pros and cons. A striking example is the environmental indicator of the Federal Statistical Office. Social scientist Angela Bearth is highly critical of the survey. The public debate on new technologies such as genetic engineering or 5G mobile communications is often conducted emotionally. Current surveys encourage this by stirring up fears instead of enabling an objective consideration of risks and benefits. One example of this is the environmental indicator, a survey conducted by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on the subject of hazards. Using simplistic questions, it generates distorted perceptions. In an article on the progressive Agrarwende.ch platform of the Eco-Progressive Network association, social scientist Angela Bearth addresses the issue.

False study on crop protection poisoning influences political decisions
Plant protection

False study on crop protection poisoning influences political decisions

In recent years, the alarming news has been making the rounds that 385 million people suffer from crop protection poisoning every year. The claim comes from a study by critics of pesticides. It has been taken up and spread by numerous media and government institutions. The problem: the number is wrong. The study does not even allow for the conclusion, which is why the scientific publisher in question has since withdrawn the study. Nevertheless, it has influenced politics and continues to be cited frequently.

The ideological misuse of «scientific» studies
Knowledge

The ideological misuse of «scientific» studies

Science serves as a basis for political decisions, including in nature conservation. However, a key question is: how trustworthy are the underlying studies and data? An article in the «NZZ am Sonntag» and the explanations provided by Quarks offer revealing perspectives on the quality of scientific studies and the possible misuse of figures.