We need to talk about genes
In the late 1990s public scepticism cast genetic modification as ‘‘The answer to the question no-one was asking’’. Today, the new technology of gene editing is emerging as a real option in facing some of our world’s biggest challenges in food production, medicine, conservation and climate change.
The institute I lead, Plant & Food Research, has committed our science to helping New Zealand’s agri-food sector deliver the best quality foods from the world’s most sustainable production systems. We believe gene editing can help us meet that commitment.
Today, Plant & Food Research breeds only 100 per cent GM-free fruit, vegetables and grains. We have never developed GM foods for commercial use and the industry does not fund us to do so. Yet our discovery-focused teams routinely use gene technologies to further our knowledge.
They’ve learned that gene editing can help us achieve our traditional breeding targets around sustainability and nutrition much faster. That means consumers get more healthy whole foods sooner.
Growers gain greater ability to fight pests, cut chemicals and delight the global market with innovative new products. Communities get options to keep their horticulture sector thriving in the face of climate change and pressure on the environment.
Colleagues at other Crown Research Institutes have identified similar new options in the crops, farms and ecosystems they work with; greener pastures, fewer pests, more trees where we need them for materials, jobs and carbon reduction without the risk of wild spread into our conservation estate.
Technologies gain acceptance not because of what their creators promise, but what people value.
So it’s time for Kiwis to have a grown-up conversation about how much we value these new options. We need a clear view on what role we see for gene editing in creating a smart, green future for New Zealand.
Let’s be clear about why we need a new conversation, not a re-run of the ‘‘GM Debate’’.
Firstly, the technology is very different. Gene editing offers gamechanging capability well beyond earlier GM tools. It allows breeders to make precisely targeted changes to a plant without introducing any foreign DNA. Those changes are the same as those found in nature. You can’t ‘‘test’’ for gene editing because it leaves no trace.
Alongside this leap in the technology we’re experiencing big new challenges as a society. Our planet is warming, our climate changing. Biodiversity is declining. Clean water is in shorter supply in many places. Globally we are feeding more people, yet millions still go without while others suffer from excess in a crisis of nutrition, not calories.
New Zealand has changed. We are more diverse in race, religion and politics. The voice and influence of Ma¯ ori is flourishing. The 100,000
Kiwis born around the time of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification are now at voting age and have a different world view from earlier generations.
The same demographic shifts have occurred in our traditional international markets and we have added millions more new consumers in China and beyond. These global consumers are consuming and communicating differently. Social media carries brands, ideas, opinions, hopes and fears further and faster. Trends can emerge, engage and influence us within days or hours – and shift again just as quickly.
Our institute sees great promise for gene editing in helping Kiwis continue to sustain our prosperity, communities and environment in this changing world.
We accept that others may not feel the same. New Zealand needs to weigh its options. So we’re here to join that discussion, share what we know – and what we don’t – and help us agree on a future we can all believe in.
Other voices and roles are also vital. Politicians can seek a continuation of the legacy of Aotearoa’s consensus culture. Parliamentary outreach to our institute from across the political spectrum in the past year suggests this is happening.
Industry will continue its efforts to understand how gene editing may affect their markets – and therefore New Zealand’s prosperity.
Farmers and growers will share their views on how gene editing influences their options. Not just as businesses but as providers of food, environmental stewards and as heartland employers.
The Ma¯ ori view of an interconnected world of people, animals, plants and environment, combined with principles such as kaitiakitanga, provides Aotearoa with a unique and valuable perspective not available in other nations. We should relish the opportunity to have Ma¯ ori perspectives and interests strongly represented in discussion.
All New Zealanders should approach this discussion with passion and optimism. I especially hope that we will hear from young people.
I urge the new generations of Kiwi consumers, farmers, mana whenua and leaders to tell us about the world they want and how they hope we can get there.
Ultimately, when I work to help make a smart, green future, I am working for them.
Globally we are feeding more people, yet millions still go without while others suffer from excess in a crisis of nutrition, not calories.