VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is considering allowing the cultivation of gene-edited crops, more than a decade after banning genetically modified crop cultivation.
The move follows Malta’s support for new EU rules on new genomic techniques (NGTs), which were backed by the Council in April and the European Parliament in June.
The government says any decision to cultivate NGT crops in Malta will be made on a case-by-case basis, taking scientific evidence and farmers’ needs into account.
Farmer Malcolm Borg, president of Għaqda Bdiewa Attivi, said gene editing could help farmers cope with rising temperatures, water shortages and declining yields.
Other farmers remain uncertain about how the new rules will work in practice.
The EU rules divide NGT crops into two categories. NGT-1 plants, involving changes that could occur naturally or through conventional breeding, will be treated largely like conventional crops once verified.
NGT-2 plants, involving more complex modifications, will remain subject to GMO rules, including risk assessments, authorisation and labelling.
Critics have raised concerns about patents on NGT seeds and the potential impact on farmers’ costs and independence.
Under the new rules, NGT-1 seeds will be labelled for farmers, but food produced from them will not require an NGT label. The government says a reliable testing method to distinguish some NGT products from conventional crops was not available.
Malta previously opted out of GMO cultivation in 2014, citing concerns about cross-pollination and the authenticity of local produce.
The new EU rules have been adopted but are not yet applicable. Until they take effect, NGT crops remain subject to existing GMO regulations.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
