Swiss agriculture is facing a double challenge: it needs to protect the environment and lower production costs at the same time to be more competitive. Can green genetic engineering help to meet this challenge? In search of an answer to such questions, the Federal Council mandated the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) to establish a National Research Programme "Benefits and Risks of the Deliberate Release of Genetically Modified Plants" (NRP 59), which is now coming to an end.
No risks for health and the environment identified
Two literature reviews conducted in the context of NRP 59 analysed more than a thousand scientific publications worldwide. They concluded that there is no danger to human health or the environment in the light of the latest scientific knowledge. Where undesirable side effects of the cultivation of genetically-engineered plants occur, they are not due to genetic engineering itself. Instead they are the result of unsuitable agricultural practices, such as monocultures.
Eleven research projects of NRP 59, which explored the possible environmental risks of genetically modified wheat, maize and strawberries, came to the same conclusion. They could not identify any negative impacts on beneficial organisms, microorganisms or soil fertility.
Controversial technology, free choice wanted
All the same, the use of genetically modified plants in Swiss food production is controversial. Studies conducted by NRP 59 show that only a quarter of all consumers would be prepared to buy foods containing genetically modified products. Despite this scepticism, more than 80% believe that there ought to be a free choice between products with and without genetically modified components.
Whether Swiss farmers would cultivate genetically modified plants after the expiry of the present moratorium will depend on what the neighbouring farms do and on the economic value of the plant. In Switzerland, this value is relatively low at the moment. However, this could change if pest pressure increases (e.g. as a result of climatic changes) or if genetically modified plants with multiple new features (e.g. combined herbicide tolerance and disease resistance) are cultivated.
Co-existence costs sink if farms collaborate
In principle, agricultural practices with and without genetically engineered crops can co-exist even in a country with small-scale farms like Switzerland. However, this would require an amendment of the Genetic Engineering Act, as a legal study of NRP 59 points out. Another NRP 59 study shows that the financial benefits gained by cultivating genetically modified plants would be balanced out by the costs of co-existence (e.g. due to isolation distances between fields and separation of product flows). These costs could be lowered if farms agreed to form larger production zones.
Plant based risk assessment
Studies conducted by NRP 59 show that the environmental impact of plants ought to be assessed on the basis of their properties rather than the technology that led to their production. This implies that genetically modified plants need to be compared with their conventionally grown counterparts in terms of ecological, economic and social impact. This approach is also recommended because it is almost impossible to distinguish between newer genetically modified plants and conventionally grown plants. Hence treating genetically modified plants differently is becoming increasingly questionable in scientific terms.
These findings in relation to risk assessment will be of relevance in shaping the new regulations for sustainable ecological agriculture (ÖLN): the ÖLN-related direct payments to farmers should be based on the ecological impact of the cultivation of a particular plant, regardless of whether it is genetically modified or not.
Field trials are necessary
Research of NRP 59 has shown that plants behave differently in the protected environment of a greenhouse. Advantages and disadvantages in terms of agricultural use can only be identified on open land. The programme suggests that protected fields should be created to prevent acts of vandalism, which affected field trials of NRP 59 on several occasions. This would contribute to maintaining Switzerland's position in plant biotechnology research.
Publication
Steering Committee of NRP 59 (eds.): Nutzen und Risiken der Freisetzung gentechnisch veränderter Pflanzen, Programmsynthese des Nationalen Forschungsprogramms 59. vdf Hochschulverlag AG an der ETH Zürich 2012.
National Research Programme "Benefits and Risks of the Deliberate Release of Genetically Modified Plants" (NRP 59)
For five years, the researchers of 30 NRP 59 projects have examined the benefits and risks of genetically modified plants with regard to the ecological, social, economic, legal and political situation in Switzerland. The synthesis that is now available is based on the results of these projects as well as on three comprehensive literature reviews focusing on human health and ecological risks as well as on agricultural economy and co-existence.