Articles

A study by Environment Agency Austria provides a scientific overview of biotechnology-based approaches in plant breeding other than genetically modification (GM), called “new plant breeding techniques” (NPBTs). This is in response to their increased use by seed companies for commercial purposes; however, some NPBTs may be exempt from current biosafety regulations.

Since NPBTs can be used for different purposes such as introducing new traits into crop varieties or modifying existing traits and are often used in combination with other technologies including GM and conventional breeding, the study examined the biosafety aspects of different NPBTs namely, in terms of their potential adverse effects on human health and the environment as well as those associated with practical application.