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By Christophe Uwizeyimana
About 35 Nobel laureates and over a thousand scientists are rallying for the benefits of new genomic techniques (NGs) to the EU and the world. At the beginning of the year 2023, They called on MEPs to support New Genomic Techniques. They released an open letter addressed to the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in light of the upcoming parliamentary decisions regarding the regulation of NGTs in Europe. This letter was submitted on January 23, 2023.
In the letter published on We Planet, the laureates and scientists pointed out that NGTs offer faster and more precise solutions to urgent problems such as pests and diseases and climate crisis.
“NGTs can dramatically improve this situation. NGTs help to make crop plants resilient to disease by precise and targeted edits to their genetic code, thus making our ambitious and vital goals of pesticide reduction possible while still protecting farmers’ yields. It comes as no surprise, then, that as a result, many of Europe’s hard-working farmers – including a growing number of organic producers – are enthusiastic supporters of NGTs,” the laureates and scientists mentioned in the letter.
The experts called for consideration of science-based evidence on NGTs in making the decision. They said supporting the technology will position the EU as a global leader in responsible and evidence-based policymaking.
Read The Open letter bellow:
Dear Members of the European Parliament,
In these times of climate crisis, biodiversity loss and renewed food insecurity, a scientific and evidence-based approach is essential in every respect. Now more than ever, we must rise above ideology and dogmatism. That is why we the undersigned turn to you and urge you to carefully consider the benefits of embracing New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) in your upcoming parliamentary decisions.
As concerned citizens who believe in the power of science to improve our lives and our relationship with the planet, we implore you to vote in favour of NGTs, aligning your decisions with the advancements in scientific understanding. Conventional breeding for climate resilient crops (with cross-breeding of certain traits, subsequent selection and then backcrossing to remove undesirable traits) is too time-consuming. It takes years, decades even. We do not have this time in an era of climate emergency.
There are also many plants which, due to their specific genetic characteristics, are very difficult to breed by conventional means, such as fruit trees, grape vines or potatoes. And these crops just happen to require most of the harmful pesticides used in the European Union to protect against pests and diseases. But just as with climate resilience, NGTs can dramatically improve this situation. NGTs help to make crop plants resilient to disease by precise and targeted edits to their genetic code thus making our ambitious and vital goals of pesticide reduction possible while still protecting farmers’ yields. It is, as a result, no surprise that many of Europe’s hard-working farmers – including a growing number of organic producers – are enthusiastic supporters of NGTs.
This is why fast, targeted and favorable breeding methods need to be added to the plant breeder’s toolbox. The draft law on the regulation of NGT plants is therefore an important step that we support in view of our mission of enhancing environmental sustainability in food, farming and energy. The responsible use of NGTs that the legislation could unlock may contribute significantly to our collective pursuit of a more resilient, environmentally conscious, and food-secure future.
NGTs hold immense promise for sustainable agriculture, enhanced food security, and innovative medical solutions. But the opportunities could also be seen in new jobs and greater economic prosperity. A recent report showed that failure to allow NGTs could cost the European economy 300 billion euros annually in ‘benefits foregone’ across multiple sectors. This is the cost of saying ‘no’ to scientific progress.
We the undersigned therefore encourage you to engage with the overwhelming majority of farmers and genuine experts, not with reactive anti-science lobbyists in the Brussels bubble. We ask you to consider the unequivocable body of scientific evidence supporting NGTs, and make decisions that align with the European Union’s and its citizens’ best interests. Your support for NGTs will not only foster innovation but also position the EU as a leader in responsible and evidence-based policymaking around the world. Leaders in Africa for example are watching closely what you decide, as are African scientists who have NGT climate resilient cassava, banana, maize and other staple crops ready to go.
We appreciate your attention to this matter and trust that, with your support, the EU Parliament can reject the darkness of anti-science fearmongering and look instead towards the light of prosperity and progress.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Emmanuelle Charpentier, Nobel Laureate Chemistry, 2020
Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Laureate Chemistry, 2020
Sir Richard John Roberts, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine 1993
Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University
Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University
Roger D Kornberg, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2006
Craig Mello, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine 2006
Peter Doherty, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 1995
Sheldon Glashow, Nobel Laureate, Physics 1979
Charles M Rice, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2020
Konstantin Sergeevich Novoselov, Nobel Laureate, Physics 1979
David Baltimore, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 1975
John Mather, Nobel Laureate, Physics 2006
Randy W. Schekman, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2013
Gregg L. Semenza, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2019
Takaaki Kajita, Nobel Laureate, Physics, 2015
May Britt Moser, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2014
Edvard Moser Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2014
Jerome I Friedman, Nobel Laureate, Physics, 1990
Christiane Nusslein Volhard, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine, 1995
F. Duncan M. Haldane, Nobel Laureate Physics 2016
Lars Peter Hansen, Nobel Laureate Economics 2013
Eric S. Maskin, Nobel Laureate, Economics 2007
Sir Oliver Hart, Nobel Laureate Economics 2016
Edmund S. Phelps, Nobel Laureate, Economics 2006
Mario R. Capecchi, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine 2007
Martin Chalfie, Nobel Laureate Chemistry 2008
Barry J. Marshall, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine 2005
Harold E. Varmus, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine, 1989
George F. Smoot, Nobel Laureate Physics 2006
Hartmut Michel, Nobel Laureate, Chemistry 1988
Erwin Neher, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 1991
Barry Clark Barish, Nobel Laureate Physics 2017
Eric F. Wieschaus, Nobel Laureate, Physiology or Medicine, 1995
Brian Kobilka, Nobel Laureate, Chemistry, 2012
Kurt Wuthrich, Nobel Laureate, Chemistry, 2002
Fynn Kydland, Nobel Laureate, Economics 2004
+ over 1,000 other scientists.
Letter coordinated by Hidde Boersma, Ph.D. at WePlanet
