Deregulating new GMOs will cause problems for farmers and breeders. These problems include biopiracy, increased risk of lawsuits against farmers and breeders, administrative burden due to legal uncertainty, increased production costs, risk of losing their business, reduced seed variety and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases.
At COP16, parties should reaffirm the ‘broad and regular’ horizon scanning and agree on the next steps in the CBD’s Synthetic Biology program.
Synthetic biology is not merely a tool for conservation but represents a paradigm shift that demands careful, thoughtful consideration before application.
Following Conference of Parties 15 (COP15), a multidisciplinary Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (mAHTEG) on Synthetic Biology was formed. In early 2024, the mAHTEG issued a set of recommendations to the SBSTTA, outlining a methodology for the ‘broad and regular’ horizon scanning process. Drawing on the work of the mAHTEG, the Parties at SBSTTA 26 should: 1 – Agree the…
“Should nature conservationists back genetic engineering of wild species in order to counter the impact of human activity?” This is the question that IUCN members will face at the IUCN Members’ Assembly in Marseille.