PROVIDING EDUCATION AND resources around plant breeding inno- vation is one of the biggest priorities for the International Seed Federation (ISF) this year and for years to come. There are a number of reasons for this, says Bernice Slutsky, who serves as co- chair for ISF’s Plant Breeding Innovation Working Group, which operates under the remit of the Breeders Committee. “These are methods we hope will be available to plant breeders to use across all crops,” Slutsky says, noting these methods are fairly accessible and rela- tively inexpensive. “Through methods such as CRISPR-Cas, plant breeders are taking all their collective knowledge gained over the past 20-30 years and using it to create more genetic variability to provide growers more solutions and give consumers more options.” One of the biggest concerns plant breeders and those in the seed industry have is whether they’ll be able to use the latest breeding methods. A social stigma and burdensome regulatory barriers could limit their use. Harry Klee, a tomato breeder from the University of Florida, says they are taking a wait-and-see approach. “We love gene editing but we haven’t actually put anything out there yet,” Klee says. “We are still being cautious as to how consumers will respond. “For example: By knocking out the expression of a single gene, I can make the lycopene levels go up by 25 percent, and we know consumers really like those deep red tomatoes with high lycopene. We can do that with very simple gene editing and very quickly. I can do it with traditional plant breeding, taking two to three years per variety, or I can do it with gene editing and get it within six months.” The timing for ISF’s work is critical as policymakers and governments around the world discuss plant breeding innova- tions, and if and how they should be regu- lated. Argentina, Australia, Canada, the United States and Europe are all in very different stages and are taking different approaches. Argentina is the only country (at the time of writing) that has legislation written and signed into law. Canada doesn’t regu- late products based on process. Australia is reviewing its legislation, while both Europe and the United States are working to make revisions. Argentina: Signed into Law In 2015, Argentina announced that it had signed legislation into law stating that gene-edited plants would not be regulated as GMOs. “The regulation is very clear in its definitions, and non-transgenic products can be excluded from regulation,” says Juan Kiekebusch, Seed Association of the Americas (SAA) senior adviser on biotechnology. “The caveat is that com- panies, before making a big investment in research projects, should make an appointment to consult with the national biosafety commission, which then makes the determination if it’s GMO or not.” Kiekebusch explains that not all coun- tries agree with this approach, but it is one approach that sets a pathway, and it’s aligned with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Canada: Product, Not Process Canada does not distinguish between a GMO and non-GMO when evaluating products for registration. It considers plant breeding innovations to be covered by its domestic legislation and regulation. “Canada has a huge advantage over other nations in that it truly doesn’t regu- late the breeding process, but rather the product itself,” says Allen Van Deynze, who grew up on a small Manitoba farm and now serves as director of research at the Seed Biotechnology Center, University of California, Davis. “We have a truly logical process, but there are many forces at work trying to change this. “If everyone would adopt and objec- tively implement the Canadian system, there would be a lot more things hap- pening in plant breeding as far as prod- ucts coming out, and everyone could use the tools to help create them.” Australia: Technical Review Underway In Australia, the Office of Gene Technology Regulation (OGTR) is conducting a technical review of the regulations around gene editing with the goal of improving clarity regarding the most recent plant breeding methods. According to the OGTR, the technical PLANT BREEDING INNOVATION POLICY POLICY ROUNDTABLE Travel around the world and explore the policy and regulatory environment associated with plant breeding innovation. Countries opt for different approaches, but the international seed industry remains hopeful these policies will not only be consistent, but will also foster innovation. 52 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2017