Responsible handling of new genetic engineering methods - Position Paper on the Opportunities and Risks of the Application of "Genome Editing" in agriculture

In biotechnology, new methods with the technical abbreviations or designations CRISPR/Cas, TALEN, or zinc finger nuclease have been used for some years, which are often summarized under the collective term "genome editing" and have the goal of being able to change the genetic material of organisms in a targeted manner or to rewrite it in parts. The CRISPR/Cas method1 is now considered the standard procedure for these new genetic engineering methods because their application is considered simple, fast and inexpensive compared to classical genetic engineering methods. The rapidly advancing development in the application of the CRISPR/Cas method means that, parallel to scientific research, market-ready applications are already available or will soon be available, especially in medicine and plant breeding. In view of the development goal of early commercial application of the new genetic engineering methods in agriculture, the Oeko-Institut e.V. sees an urgent need for an analysis and evaluation of the resulting opportunities and risks. This should include both the application areas of plant and animal breeding and the use of modified microorganisms in the provision of biogenic raw materials. In the position paper on the project, the Oeko-Institut identifies the various applications of the CRISPR/Cas method as well as important aspects of a necessary regulatory risk assessment and calls for a legal framework for the new genetic engineering methods.