Genetic editing of agricultural crops poses new health and environmental risks, according to a report titled “Gene-edited organisms in agriculture: Risks and unexpected consequences” from Friends of the Earth (FOE) and Logos Environmental.
“The unexpected and unintended effects of all genetically engineered organisms, regardless of whether ‘traditional’ or gene-edited genetic engineering techniques have been used, have the potential to cause environmental and human health problems,” notes the report. “New genetic engineering techniques, like CRISPR, require further analysis in the context of agricultural ecosystems and the food system as a whole in order to properly assess their potential risks and hypothetical benefits.”
The report recommends that “all genetic engineering techniques should fall within the scope of government regulatory oversight of genetic engineering and GMOs; the products of all techniques of genetic engineering, including gene editing, should be regulated using the Precautionary Principle to protect human health and the environment; and oversight and regulations should include independent assessment for safety and other long-term impacts before entering the market or environment, and products of all genetic engineering should be labeled and traceable.”
Report (pdf)