• In the context in which the European Union is discussing the revision of the rules on Genetically Modified Organisms, young consumers in the region declare themselves in favor of genetically modified crops.
While The European Commission proposes to allow the use of new genomic techniques to grow crops resistant to climate change and with better nutritional value, according to new research by the Mintel agency, young Europeans would agree to genetically modified (GM) foods if they -would provide health benefits.
right Mintel, young consumers are nearly twice as likely as average to say they would choose genetically modified foods if they were better for them. For example, in Germany, around a quarter (23%) of consumers aged 16 to 24 would choose a food/beverage with genetically modified ingredients over a regular one if it were richer in nutrients – in compared to an average of 13% of Germans.
Augmented nutritional profile
30% of Britons also said that genetically modified food is a significant solution to combating world hunger, rising to 44% among under-35s. At the same time, two in five Britons aged 16 to 44 would buy genetically modified products if they were more nutritious than regular ones.
These figures show an openness of consumers to ingredients that could bring them a health boost and add a new perspective to the debate about OMGthe Young adults in European countries are aware of the ramifications of the climate crisis facing humanity and the need for new food supply plans to combat food insecurity and malnutrition.
And research in recent years shows that GMOs could help meet the demand for nutritionally improved staple crops such as rice, corn and wheat, as well as functional health ingredients.
Genetic modification or editing
However, the European Commission is in no rush to allow genetically modified foods. Instead, they are trying to revise the rules on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to allow the use of genetically modified crops. Similarly, the British government is pushing for its own law to allow gene editing. The process of gene editing is different from genetic modification, which introduces DNA from one species to another.
In essence, the Commission's proposal would prevent the labeling of crops produced with the help of new genetic editing techniques (mutagenesis and cisgenesis) as genetically modified products. This would overturn a 2018 ruling by the European Court of Justice, which held that the mutagenesis technique, while not involving the insertion of genetic material, is similar to that of obtaining conventional GMOs.
According to the Commission's current data, new genetic editing techniques are no more dangerous to human health than other forms of plant breeding. European Parliament will now decide which committee will take responsibility for drafting Parliament's strategy on the proposal, and national governments will decide which ministers will be tasked with agreeing their joint decision. But some governments, such as Austria, Slovakia and Luxembourg, as well as environmental groups have expressed concern.
Divided opinions
agronomy Francesco Sottile, from Slow Food Italia claims that “The release of new GMOs (such as those obtained through technol CRISPR) in the environment will further impoverish both agricultural biodiversity and soil health in European fields, as it will encourage the continuation of monocultures and uniformity on which industrial agriculture is based, ultimately leading to a reduction of the number of species and varieties of food to be grown, eroding the biodiversity that is essential to ensure food security".
But others believe new plant breeding techniques are needed to help farmers adapt to climate change and produce more nutritious food for consumers. The EU executive added that some easing of restrictions on plants resulting from new gene-editing technologies would mean farmers would have access to climate- or pest-resistant crops with less fertilizer or pesticides, and consumers could buy food with a higher nutritional value or with reduced levels of substances that cause allergies.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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