USDA officials are expressing disappointment in a recent ruling by Europe’s highest court that says “gene-edited” crops are “genetically modified organisms”. That means gene-editing could be subject to the same restrictive policies that govern the use of GMOs in Europe.
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue calls it “a setback”. He says government policies should encourage scientific innovation without “unjustifiably stigmatizing new technologies”.
There’s also concern that countries in the developing world might follow Europe’s lead and block the use of gene-edited crops.
