New Genomic Techniques can make agricultural production more sustainable

NGTs (New Genomic Techniques), are methods for creating targeted mutations in the genome of living organisms. An example is CRISPR/Cas9, which allows for precise editing of DNA on the level of individual units of genetic code. The precise editing by NGTs allows for rapid results over traditional methods, which can be useful considering that plant diseases are spreading due to climate change. The difference between a GMO and an NGT is that the makeup of a GMO has been modified using biotechnology to create a desirable product. NGTs do not have any foreign genetic material, just an edited version of their original genome.

A few examples of plants produced using NGTs are salt-tolerant rice varieties and virus-resistant cassava. NGT crops can increase yield and reduce the need for harmful insecticides, which would increase sustainability in agriculture overall. There is precariousness around the idea of releasing new genetic traits into nature. The unknown effects that NGT has on wild crops. Some may be more welcome to NGTs, because the mutations like this occur naturally, unlike GMOs. Many countries are treating them differently as well when it comes to regulations. In my opinion, with a rapidly growing population, we have to start introducing these biotechnological methods to feed everyone on our planet.