Debate over gene editing in organic farming intensifies

Farmer on tractor harvesting organic potatoes
Farmer on tractor harvesting organic potatoes (Getty Images)

Researchers have called for the EU to allow new genomic techniques (NGTs), such as gene editing, in organic farming. They argue this could help achieve the European Green Deal’s target of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, sparking renewed policy debate about the role of biotechnology in sustainable food systems

The EU should allow gene editing to make organic farming more sustainable, researchers say.

To achieve the European Green Deal’s goal of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, researchers argue that new genomic techniques (NGTs) should be allowed without pre-market authorisation in organic as well as conventional food production. NGTs, also known as gene editing, are classified under the umbrella of GMOs, but they involve more subtle genetic tweaks.

In an opinion paper, the researchers describe how NGTs could enable rapid development of crops that are climate resilient, produce higher yields, and require less fertilisers and pesticides.

“This is an excellent opportunity to modernise European agriculture, to make it more science based, and to support the goal of improving sustainability inside the European Union,” said first author Alexandra Molitorisová, a food law researcher at the University of Bayreuth.

Green Deal targets mean more land to grow the same amount of food

Currently, 10% of EU farming areas are organic. Though organic farming can reduce carbon emissions and pollution from fertiliser and pesticides, Molitorisová’s team says that these benefits could be negated by biodiversity losses due to expanding agricultural land, since organic agriculture requires more land to grow the same amount of food.

“The target of 25% organic land is unlikely to ensure sustainable food production in the EU if modern biotechnology, such as NGTs, is excluded from organic farming,” said Molitorisová.

European institutions are currently debating how to regulate NGTs, which did not exist when the EU legislation on GMOs was adopted in 2001, in response to a proposal from the European Commission that NGT usage be allowed in conventional but not organic farming.

“Research suggests that NGTs are still something that European consumers are not completely aware of, they just do not distinguish between NGTs and GMOs,” says senior author Kai Purnhagen, Professor of Food Law at the University of Bayreuth. “There are strong indications that consumers would be willing to accept these technologies if they yield substantial benefits, and the Commission’s proposal for new regulation allowing NGTs in conventional farming points in this direction.”

Defined and regulated separately

Though NGT crops are still developed through genetic alteration, the processes usually don’t involve the insertion of DNA from non-plant species. This means that, in theory, identical crops could be developed using conventional breeding methods, though it would take decades rather than months.

For these reasons, the researchers argue that NGTs and GMOs should be defined and regulated separately, including in organic production.

“From the consumer’s perception of naturalness, the normal breeding process is between two crossable varieties, and that is also what happens with NGTs,” said Molitorisová. “So, if consumers understand the nature and benefits of this technology, it should be easier for them to accept it compared with GMOs, which might involve inserting a gene from a non-plant organism into a plant genome.”

Organic vs conventional agriculture

The team highlights that allowing NGTs in conventional but not organic agriculture creates a formidable hurdle in terms of NGT identification, labeling, and traceability.

“At the moment, there are unresolved practical problems with the identification of NGTs inside of food, feed, or seeds,” said Molitorisová. “One rational alternative is to allow NGTs in organic production, because if NGT organisms are not identifiable, they are also technically unavoidable.”

Ultimately, the researchers say that the decision to allow NGTs in organic farming should be made by the organic farming and consumer communities, for example, by way of citizens’ juries or food councils.

“Organic consumers care about the environment and sustainability. For organic farmers, accepting this technology is a way to speak to those consumers,” said Purnhagen.

Journal Reference: Alexandra Molitorisová, Stephan Clemens, Louise Fresco, Aleksandra Hubar-Kołodziejczyk, Jale Tosun, Urs Niggli, Matin Qaim, Richard G.F. Visser, Andreas P.M. Weber, Justus Wesseler, David Zilberman, Kai Purnhagen. New genomic techniques in organic production: Considerations for science-based, effective, and acceptable EU regulation. Cell Reports Sustainability, 2025; 100405 DOI: 10.1016/j.crsus.2025.100405