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By: Nukanah Kollie | IFAJ/Alltech Young Leader | kollienukanah94@gmail.com
London, United Kingdom —In a packed conference hall in central London, as policymakers, scientists, agribusiness leaders and farmers debated the future of food, one message rang out with clarity: innovation alone will not transform agriculture alignment will.
At the recent forum hosted by Economist Impact, Michael Keller, Secretary General of the International Seed Federation (ISF), spoke on a panel moderated by Ed Barker of the Agricultural Industries Confederation, emphasizing the need for consistent global regulations on gene-edited crops. A seasoned seed sector leader, Keller brings expertise in agricultural policy, law, and advocacy, with experience in the French Senate and senior roles in the seed industry. ISF has advanced science-based policies and promoted innovation in plant breeding worldwide.
Standing before a projection map shaded largely in green signaling countries that now permit gene-edited crops under specific regulatory frameworks, Keller struck a tone that was both optimistic and pragmatic.
“Gene editing is recognized today as a tool,” Keller said. “But it is not only about gene editing. It is about breeding in general. We are adding another tool in the toolbox of breeders to address a diversity of global challenges.”
A Technology Moving Faster Than Policy
Gene editing also known in different regions as precision breeding or new genomic techniques allows scientists to make targeted, precise changes within a plant’s genome. Unlike traditional genetically modified organisms (GMOs), many gene-edited crops contain no foreign DNA and are indistinguishable from varieties developed through conventional breeding.
But Keller cautioned that while science is advancing rapidly, regulatory systems are struggling to keep pace.
“Science is moving quicker than policies,” he noted. “What we put in place today, tomorrow we may not know if it is enough.”
For plant breeders, he explained, predictability is essential. Developing a new crop variety can take between eight and twenty years depending on the species. Potatoes may take 14 years. Lettuce up to 20. Wheat around eight. No breeder will invest lightly in a technology without clarity on how it will be regulated across borders.
“Investment needs predictability, science-based rules, clarity and consistency,” Keller emphasized.
Seeds in a Global System
Keller’s central concern lies in the global nature of seeds themselves. Unlike many agricultural inputs, seeds are not simple commodities. They are locally adapted, shaped by climate, soils and farming systems. Yet they move constantly across borders.
“Seed dependency of every country is a reality,” Keller said. “Seeds are moving around the world. Therefore, we need consistency not only in Europe but globally.”
He acknowledged that discussions around gene editing regulations are unfolding differently in the United Kingdom, the European Union, North America, and parts of Asia and Latin America. But he warned that diverging systems could complicate trade and limit the technology’s benefits, particularly for developing economies that stand to gain from climate-resilient crops.
“We learned from what happened with GMOs,” Keller said, referencing decades of polarized global debate. “We must engage proactively. We must explain.”
From Laboratories to Farms
The London forum did not focus solely on regulators and global seed associations. Farmers’ voices were present too.
Tom Allen-Stevens, founder of the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), underscored the importance of involving farmers directly in research trials. In England, recent legislative changes now allow gene-edited crops to move from glasshouse experiments into field trials, something not yet possible in much of Europe.
“We need to bring these traits into the field and see how they perform,” he said, describing collaborative on-farm research platforms designed to test new cereal and oilseed varieties under real-world conditions.
For farmers, the issue is practical: Do the crops yield more? Are they resilient? Do they reduce inputs?
Keller agreed that farmer engagement is critical. “The seed sector works with farmers everywhere from Bangladesh to Uruguay to Australia,” he said. “Seeds must be locally adapted. The business model does not work otherwise.”
Consumer Trust: The Other Pillar
Regulators also took the stage in London. Representatives from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) explained how England is developing a more proportionate framework for precision breeding, focusing on safety while avoiding unnecessary barriers to innovation.
Consumer acceptance remains a delicate issue. Surveys suggest skepticism persists in some quarters, yet experience in the United States where gene-edited produce has already reached consumers, shows that tangible benefits matter. Improved taste, nutrition, shelf life, and environmental sustainability can shift public perception.
Keller stressed that transparency must accompany innovation.
“Perhaps sometimes you do not have all the responses,” he admitted. “But we must engage. Openly.”
A Century-Old Organization Facing a New Era
The ISF recently marked its 100th anniversary, spanning a century from early hybridization to biotechnology and now gene editing. Keller’s participation underscored the organization’s vision of plant breeding innovation as evolution, not disruption.
For him, gene editing is neither silver bullet nor existential threat. It is a continuation of humanity’s long history of improving crops only faster and more precise.
As climate change intensifies, input costs rise, and food security pressures mount, Keller sees the stakes clearly.
“We know the challenges,” he said. “Gene editing can transform challenges into possibilities.”
Gene editing can transform challenges into possibilities,” he said. But only if governments move beyond fragmented debates toward coordinated frameworks that allow seeds and solutions to cross borders as freely as the problems they are meant to solve.
The forum brought together developers, farmers, regulators, and supply chain actors to examine the future of gene editing in global food systems.
