b"Seed Sector and Green Deal, New Genomic TechniquesPLANS OF THE CZECH EU PRESIDENCY.BY: ZDEN K TRNKAT he world is currently facing a global food crisis, whichIn this respect, mention may be made of the results of a has grown to even more dramatic proportions due to thestudy carried out by the Community Plant Variety Office and the invasion of Ukraine. In 2021, up to 828 million people (9.8European Union Intellectual Property Office on the importance per cent of the world's population) were affected by hunger, 46of the Community plant variety rights system. The study shows million more than in 2020 and 150 million more than in 2019.that, in the environmental field, the variety protection system, As the world's population continues to grow, much moreand hence new varieties, contribute to reducing greenhouse gas effort and innovation is urgently needed to increase agriculturalemissions from agriculture and horticulture, as well as to reduc-production, improve global supply chains, reduce food loss anding water consumption in these sectors. At the same time, the waste, and ensure access to nutritious food. The EU and itsstudy shows that the Community plant variety rights system also Member States can make an important contribution to globalhas economic benefits for the EU economy. It contributes to the action to alleviate the immediate humanitarian needs causedgrowth of EU agricultural production, in particular, the breeding by food crises in vulnerable countries. and innovation of plant varieties supported by the scheme. Last, but not least, increasing employment and protecting investment FOOD SECURITY in variety and process innovation by large, medium and small Although food security in the EU is not directly threatened, thecompanies and breeders is also an important aspect.European Union is undoubtedly going through a very compli-cated period. The lingering effects of COVID-19 are escalated by the current geopolitical situation, which has led to price shocks on world food markets, energy and fertiliser markets, in some cases leading to shortages of these commodities or other raw materials. At a time of rising inflation, the provision of affordable food is also becoming an increasing challenge for EU MemberTHE CURRENT UKRAINE CRISIS States. Progressive climate change is causing further significantSHOULD NOT DIVERT THE EUS FOCUS uncertainty. Research by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) shows that climate-related disastersFROM ADDRESSING THE CLIMATE could double the number of people requiring humanitarianCHALLENGE, BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND assistance by 2050. In many regions, climate change may take the form notSUSTAINABILITY OF FOOD SYSTEMS.only of droughts, significant temperature fluctuations, but also of heavy rains, new diseases and pests, etc. Nor should the cur-rent Ukraine crisis divert the EU's focus from addressing this climate challenge, biodiversity loss and the sustainability of food systems. The Green Deal and the Farm to Fork strategy there-fore remain the EU's roadmap.GENETIC ENGINEERINGCZECH EU PRESIDENCY Scientific progress is unstoppable, permeating all disciplines, In the current context, the Czech EU Presidency has set severaland genetic engineering methods, mainly used in pharma-priorities in the field of agriculture, both in terms of food securityceuticals, are making significant inroads into crop breeding. and continuing the trend towards sustainability and biodiversityTraditional breeding methods are usually very time-consum-conservation. The seed sector and the breeding of new varietiesing, and some specific traits cannot theoretically be obtained in play an important role in both these areas.plants by traditional methods. There is currently great promise Certified propagating material is a fundamental intensifyingin the so-called New Plant Breeding techniques (NBTs), which factor in crop production, the basis of a process that results inscientists see great potential and believe could help solve current healthy, high-quality food for all. It is therefore important toglobal problems.ensure the competitiveness of certified seeds, which are guar- During the Czech Presidency, the preparation of revised anteed to be traceable and guarantee food safety for humanlegislation on the marketing of seeds and planting stock, cer-consumption. Support for this sector is also important to ensuretification of propagating material of regulated plant species self-sufficiency in the production of a wide range of seeds andand registration of varieties is continuing. Given the current seedlings for production crops, but also to ensure a return onemergency situation, it is expected that the proposal will not be the investment in breeding new modern varieties.presented until early 2023.24IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM"