University College Cork (UCC) will hold a day-long seminar exploring the potential of gene editing in Irish agriculture on 23 June as the EU continues its public consultation on “;egislation for plants produced by certain new genomic techniques”.

This consultation comes as the European Commission prepares a policy initiative on plants obtained by targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis. This policy also covers food and feed which comes from these plants.

Gene-editing technologies are not currently available to use widely in Europe, since the European Court of Justice’s decision to ban these techniques in Europe in 2018.

Symposium

The symposium will hear from a number or Irish and international speakers. There will be opportunity for discussion and audience participation is being encouraged.

The event organisers noted that we all eat plant-based food and that the use of these technologies is relevant to all consumers.

Farmers are constantly looking for new varieties to help to reduce pesticide use

Farmers are constantly looking for new varieties to help to reduce pesticide use and varieties that are more resistant to disease and drought.

The organisers note that there are huge potential benefits from these technologies to meet the targets set out in the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, which outlines a target to reduce pesticide use by 50% and fertiliser use by 20% as part of the EU’s Green Deal.

Farmers will take centre stage and explain their views on this technology and the aim of the event is to bring farmers, consumers and researchers together before they make submissions to the consultation, which closes on 22 July 2022.

Speakers

Speakers on the day are from across many different sectors and include Dr Barbara Doyle Prestwich of UCC, Ms Sirkku Heinimaa of the Biotechnology Unit at the European Commission and Dr Neill Hoffman, who is the chief scientific adviser at APHIS in the United States Department of Agriculture.

The event is free to attend and takes place in UCC on 23 June from 9am to 5pm and those who would like to attend must register in advance on www.eventbrite.ie.