A new multi-country study involving 62 farmers, agronomists, and researchers has highlighted a significant divide between the high-tech ambitions of plant scientists and the practical, risk-averse realities of the global food supply chain.
The research, conducted as part of the European Commission-funded PhotoBoost project, explored how those on the frontlines of food production view the prospect of ‘boosting’ the way plants turn sunlight into food.
By targeting C3 plants like rice and potatoes — which currently lose significant energy through a process called photorespiration — scientists aim to increase plant biomass by up to 30%. While the biological promise is immense, the study reveals that for a farmer to be willing to plant a new variety, it must do much more than just grow faster.
High hopes for biomass gains
The core of the PhotoBoost initiative involves ‘stacking’ different biological pathways to make photosynthesis more efficient. In simple terms, scientists are trying to fix a glitch in the enzyme RuBisCO, which sometimes mistakenly grabs oxygen instead of carbon dioxide, leading to wasted energy. By introducing “bypasses” and carbon-concentrating mechanisms from algae and bacteria, researchers believe they can significantly increase yields.
The study found that many industry players were excited by this efficiency. An agronomist from Catalonia noted that his first impressions were very good, particularly regarding how the technology allows the plant to be more productive and make better use of resources.
In Scotland, a potato grower echoed this sentiment, suggesting that a 30% increase in yield is something people would “bite your hand off for”.
The yield versus survival debate
However, the enthusiasm for raw yield is often tempered by the daily struggle against pests and diseases. For many farmers, a high-yielding crop is useless if it cannot survive the local environment.
A potato grower from Bogura, Bangladesh, put it bluntly by stating that what they needed first was disease resistance. He argued that he needed to survive first, and only then could the rest follow. This highlights a recurring theme in the research: any gain in photosynthetic efficiency must not come at the cost of existing hardiness.
Agronomists in the UK also pointed out that yield was not the “be-all and end-all”. They explained that a variety must perform through post-harvest, storage, and processing.
For the potato industry, factors like dry matter content and storability were just as critical as the number of tubers pulled from the ground. If a faster-growing potato rots more easily in a warehouse, the technological gain would be lost to the reality of the supply chain.
Regional attitudes toward biotechnology
One of the most striking findings of the study was the geographic split in the perception of biotechnology. In low- and middle-income countries like the Philippines and Bangladesh, farmers showed relatively little concern about the use of genetic modification.
Their perspectives were anchored in existing successes, such as Bt Brinjal (eggplant) in Bangladesh and the long-term development of Golden Rice in the Philippines. These farmers often view biotechnology as just another tool in the box to ensure food security.
A regulatory representative in Los Baños explained that rigorous safety assessments in the Philippines had helped build trust. She noted that because five different agencies were involved in the regulatory policy, they could assure the public that these technologies had undergone a thorough risk assessment process. This stood in sharp contrast to the atmosphere in Europe, where the ghost of past “GMO” backlashes still haunted the industry.
The influence of market gatekeepers
In the UK and Spain, the conversation shifted quickly from the lab to the supermarket shelf. Farmers and processors in these regions expressed deep concern that even if a crop is scientifically sound and legally approved, it may still be rejected by major retailers or global brands.
A potato processor in England noted that commercial acceptance was a major hurdle for global companies. He explained that what they did in one region would impact their customer base in places like Argentina or Australia, and the benefits must clearly outweigh the potential commercial risks.
This ‘supermarket gatekeeper’ effect means European farmers often feel restricted by political and consumer sentiment. A rice grower from Catalonia pointed out that because of these constraints, much of the technology development has moved into the hands of multinational companies based outside of Europe. He described this as a political constraint that restricted local growers and made it difficult to compete on a global stage.
Harvesting sunlight for sustainability
Despite these hurdles, there is a growing interest in what researchers call “radiation use efficiency”. This is the idea of maximising the “free and infinite” resource of sunshine to reduce the need for expensive and environmentally damaging inputs like synthetic fertilisers. A potato breeder in Scotland argued that the industry should be maximising the energy captured from the sun rather than extracting oil to create nitrogen.
This focus on sustainability could be the key to winning over sceptical consumers and regulators. If boosting photosynthesis can be framed as a way to grow more food with less chemical intervention, it may find a smoother path to market.
The study suggested that for biotechnology to succeed, it must align with the values of the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) framework, which emphasises anticipating societal needs and responding to them early in the development process.
In terms of moving forward, the researchers wrote: “Future research in this area could employ mixed-method approaches to reduce the limitations of a single method, and female-only focus groups may offer a means of ensuring that the effects of gender, a key factor for RRI research, are given fair consideration. A focus on more biotechnology-forward countries in North and South America could provide further insight into the potential of photosynthesis-boosting research.”
Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information
“What farmers think about using crop biotechnology to boost photosynthesis in rice and potato”
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30369-8
Authors: Jonathan Menary, et al
