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U.N. FAO OFFICIAL BETH BECHDOL SAYS BIOTECH CAN HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT ON CLIMATE
Oct. 20, 2021
Agri-Pulse reports:
A top official with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says gene editing could help countries address climate change and suggests the technology also could help address consumer concerns.
FAO is "especially excited about the next generation of gene editing technologies that can be used, I think, very importantly in ways to improve plant and animal populations," said Beth Bechdol, an American who is FAO's deputy director-general. She was speaking on a webinar that the State Department held in conjunction with the World Food Prize Foundation's annual conference in Des Moines.
She went on, "We can't have a discussion about addressing the climate crisis without focusing on both mitigation, and also adaptation. And in both of these areas, agroecology and also biotechnology practices have very important roles to play," she said. (Agroecology applies ecological principles to farming practices.)
She suggested the use of gene editing also could help address the "consumer and governmental and public policy-related concerns that continue to circle the topic of genetic modification and genetic engineering."
Keep in mind: The Biden administration will be using the upcoming climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, to launch a multi-nation coalition to promote the use of technology in agriculture.
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