The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food strengthens scientific advice to promote plant breeding through new genomic techniques.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA) will collaborate with the Center for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) on a pioneering scientific advisory project on new genomic techniques (NTG) and their potential in the agri-food sector, with the aim of strengthening the role of science in public policy.

New genomic techniques (NGT) are innovative tools that can contribute to increasing the resilience and sustainability of the agri-food sector. They allow for the development of plant varieties that are better adapted to the effects of climate change, with fewer input requirements, improved quality, and higher yields, among other traits.

The project is a beneficiary of the 2024 Call for Proposals for the Promotion of a Culture of Public Innovation from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) and will last two years. CRAG is a consortium formed by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and the University of Barcelona (UB).

During this period, the Ministry and CRAG will collaborate on several activities aimed at improving scientific knowledge about the state of development of NTGs, their potential for the Spanish agri-food sector, regulatory needs, and scientific outreach.

These activities are clearly participatory and will include workshops with the sectors involved, particularly the agri-food sector. Transparency and knowledge will also be promoted through a web platform with resources on these technologies.

Within the framework of the project, a committee of scientific experts will be created, led by CRAG, which will meet periodically with the General Directorate of Agricultural Production and Markets.

This project consolidates the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food's commitment to leveraging scientific evidence in the negotiation of the European Commission's proposed regulation on plants obtained using new genomic techniques, ensuring that it can have a positive impact on the agri-food sector.