b'UruguayIN MARCH,Uruguay underscored its commitment to technological innovation when the country\'s legislative bodies approved a decree on gene editing, marking a significant milestone for the country\'s seed sector. This regulatory break-Advancesthrough, which has been the result of several years of work, seeks to promote innovation and provide a clear framework for the development of new technologies in agriculture.Plant BreedingIn an interview with Seed World LATAM, Agustn Damboriarena, Managing Director of the Uruguayan Chamber of Seeds (CUS), expressed his enthusiasm about the new regulation. "It is an achievement for Uruguay to reach this resolution, aligning Innovation withthe country with others at the forefront of new technologies." Damboriarena emphasized that this regulation complements Uruguay\'s 15 years of experience with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and adds to the tools available for technologi-Gene Editingcal development in agriculture."It is essential for there to be tools on the table so that each company or organization can have them at their disposal accord-ing to their objectives," he said.Decree Damboriarena also underscored the importance of effective communication in demystifying gene editing. A major challenge is to inform properly, highlighting the benefits and clarifying that gene editing is not about incorporating foreign DNA, but instead a technique that is more similar to the natural mutations that Approval of new gene editingoccur inside an organism\'s DNA."regulation is an important milestone forThe decree, approved and presented in March 2024, estab-lishes a clear framework for using gene editing techniques to science and the seed sector in Uruguay. improve plants, seeds and other agricultural products. It also Elena Mansur provides for the creation of Technical Working Groups formed of experts from various institutions who will evaluate each specific case and determine whether a product is covered by the coun-try\'s GMO regulations.Development ProcessSeed World LATAM discussed this important milestone for Uruguays science and seed sector with Alejandra Ferenczi, Biosafety Manager at Uruguays Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) and Coordinator of Biosafety Risk Assessment of the National Biosafety System, and Virginia Guardia, Director of Biosafety and Food Safety at MGAP. The process leading to the approval of the gene-editing decree in Uruguay has been notable for its scientific and meticu-lous approach. Ferenczi explained: "This decree establishes a science-based mechanism to define whether or not a product developed with gene editing techniques is covered by the regu-lations for genetically modified organisms. This is essential to ensure that innovations are safe and well regulated."12/ SEEDWORLD.COMLATAM'