Genetically engineered animals, algae and microorganisms are developed increasingly for field-level applications. But, contrary to genetically engineered field crops, potential benefits as well as risks are scarcely discussed in public fora.
The range of promising applications is long: from genetically engineered (GE) polled cattle to high-yield GE fish, from GE algae for biofuel production to GE microorganisms in bio-fertilizer. New genetic engineering techniques look promising when it comes to cheap, fast and precise remedies for challenges within agriculture, environmental protection and climate action.
However, the hopes connected to these new technological applications are also accompanied by concerns. Far-reaching promises warrant matter-of-fact reality checks; plans for release and marketing warrant robust assessments of beneficial as well as detrimental side effects.
This project summarised the state of discussion within TA relating to the husbandry and release, marketing and consumption of genetically engineered animals, algae and microorganisms for agricultural as well as ecological purposes. We collected topical reports from European TA institutions and analysed them systematically with regard to addressed organisms and gene technologies, applied TA approaches, gathered results and formulated recommendations.
This project was conducted for the Environmental Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt, Österreich) on behalf of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz, Deutschland).
-> New genetic engineering techniques and applications, such as genome editing and gene drives, enable new deployment scenarios.
-> What is the current state of debate on genetic modification of animals, algae, and microorganisms amongst experts and the public?
-> Overall, public discourse is not keeping pace with biotechnological innovation.
-> The aforementioned groups of organisms, in particular, are rarely discussed, yet they raise specific questions.
-> Gentechnische Entwicklungen wie ‚Gene Drive‘ und ‚Genschere‘ sorgen für neue und breitere Anwendungsmöglichkeiten.
-> Wie ist der Stand der Diskussion zu gentechnischer Veränderung von Tieren, Algen und Mikroorganismen?
-> Insgesamt hält der gesellschaftliche Diskurs mit gentechnischen Innovationen nicht Schritt.
-> Insbesondere die genannten Organismengruppen werden kaum diskutiert, werfen aber spezifische Fragen auf.
Biotechnological applications in animals are increasingly developed for use in agriculture and aquaculture to tackle breeding challenges in animal production. By examining two case studies of genetically modified (GM) farmed animals relevant to the European Union, slick-haired cattle and growth-enhanced carp, we highlight the challenges for environmental risk assessment and discuss available assessment approaches to address broader societal concerns. We find that the existing guidance for environmental risk assessment of GM animals available in the European Union faces several challenges. Assessing risks of GM animals in agriculture and aquaculture requires consideration of the farming systems of these animals. In addition, we find that there is a lack of guidance and practical implementation to address wider issues, including cultural, societal, ethical, and socio-economic issues, as well as animal health and welfare issues, related to GM farmed animals. We propose using existing assessment frameworks to address the sustainability of GM farmed animals beyond environmental risk assessment. Sustainability assessment approaches should also address potential farm-level sustainability claims of GM animal applications. We note that issues related to animal health and welfare are cross-disciplinary topics that require special attention when commercializing GM farmed animals. We recommend developing a comprehensive framework, including risk assessment, sustainability assessment, and technology assessment, that will enable policymakers to better anticipate and address the societal, legal, ethical, and governance issues associated with emerging biotechnologies in farmed animals.
In recent years, the interest in developing genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs), including GMMs developed by genome editing, for use in the environment has significantly increased. However, the scientific knowledge on the ecology of such GMMs is severely limited. There is also little experience at the hands of regulators on how to evaluate the environmental safety of GMMs and on how to assess whether they provide sustainable alternatives to current (agricultural) production systems. This review analyzes two different GMM applications, GM microalgae for biofuel production and nitrogen-fixing GM soil bacteria for use as biofertilizers. We assess the challenges posed by such GMMs for regulatory environmental risk assessment (ERA) against the background of the GMO legislation existing in the European Union (EU). Based on our analysis, we present recommendations for ERA and the monitoring of GMM applications, and in particular for the improvement of the existing EU guidance. We also explore whether existing approaches for technology assessment can provide a framework for the broader assessment of GMM applications. To this end, we recommend developing and implementing an evidence-based sustainability analysis and other methods of technology assessment to support decision making and to address broader societal concerns linked to the use of GMM applications in the environment.
