Will Europe squander its biotechnology opportunity?

Credit: Jernej Furman/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Credit: Jernej Furman/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Europe’s next wave of biotech innovation could determine how the continent feeds itself as climate disruption and supply-chain shocks intensify. But as Brussels drafts its Biotech Act in a bid to scale innovation and keep pace with investment in the U.S. and Asia, food barely features.

Leaving food out of the picture could prove short-sighted. Food biotechnology could redefine Europe’s food security and supply resilience if it’s given a clear place in policy.

…

So far, food is referenced but not made explicit with dedicated measures, despite being one of biotechnology’s most socially relevant applications.

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Europe still lacks alignment between EU and national rules, consistency across product categories, and interoperable standards for safety, labeling and scaling from pilot to market. 

…

The science is ready so what remains is execution: closing the policy gap with coherent pathways, the confidence gap with fair first applications, and the capital gap with tangible scale-up capacity.

The prize is enormous: a resilient, low-carbon food economy that could redefine Europe’s industrial base and export competitiveness.

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