Genetic Engineering: a tool to fight climate change

Soon there will be a need to feed 2 billion more people, which will undoubtedly cause a strain on production and resources. With the added challenge of climate change, assuring the proper support of the agricultural sector is of the utmost importance.

In a recent article in Visão magazine, GREEN-IT Coordinator and ITQB PI Margarida Oliveira discusses the applicability of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) in the face of abiotic and biotic stresses. “This type of strategy is easier to apply to give plants resistance to pests and diseases. However, one of the problems caused by climate change in our agriculture is the flow of pests and diseases from one place to another” Margarida elucidates.

Genetic engineering provides several opportunities to achieve more productive and resistant plants without relying on chemical compounds or other more damaging methods. However, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the application of NGTs are still shrouded in some controversy and not used to their full capacity. “We cannot give ourselves the luxury of wasting these technologies” highlights Margarida Oliveira.

Read the full article: https://visao.pt/visao_verde/2023-07-17-engenharia-genetica-e-assim-que-a-agricultura-tem-uma-hipotese-contra-as-alteracoes-climaticas/