Sixteen civil society organizations have launched an urgent appeal against the proposed European regulation that would deregulate new GMOs (NGTs/TEAs), eliminating requirements for traceability, labelling, and risk assessment. This proposal threatens food sovereignty, agricultural biodiversity, and the survival of small-scale farmers and breeders in Italy.

The organizations warn that:

• The growing concentration of power in the hands of a few multinational corporations is already undermining the seed market: four major companies now control over 60% of the global seed trade, enforcing patents that restrict access to genetic resources and stifle local innovation.
• Patents on seeds and genetic traits threaten the freedom of farmers and breeders to save, reuse, and exchange seeds—deepening dependency on costly external inputs, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Agricultural biodiversity and agroecological resilience are jeopardized by the spread of patented varieties and the restricted access to genetic material, limiting the ability to develop locally adapted crops in the face of climate change.
• The lack of mandatory traceability and disclosure of identification methods facilitates the abusive extension of patents, even on naturally occurring genetic traits or those obtained through conventional breeding—exposing farmers and breeders to legal disputes and biopiracy.
• Agricultural production costs are set to rise further, endangering the economic viability of farms already under pressure from soaring input costs and volatile markets.

The 16 organizations firmly demand:

• That strict rules on traceability, labelling, and risk assessment be maintained for all plants developed through NGTs/TEAs.
• Stronger safeguards against the patenting of genetic resources.
• Public support for agricultural models rooted in biodiversity, farmers‘ knowledge, and food sovereignty.

Only by upholding these principles can we protect farmers’ rights to save and share seeds, preserve the diversity of our agricultural systems, and advance a genuine agroecological transition.

Signatory organizations:

Fondazione Seminare il Futuro, Centro Internazionale Crocevia, ARCI, Terra!, Navdanya International, Pro Natura, Movimento Consumatori, Fairwatch, Associazione Italiana per l’Agricoltura Biodinamica, Federbio, Rete Semi Rurali, WWF, Slow Food Italia, ASCI, Altragricoltura Bio, ACU.

Summary of: “Deregulation of New GMOs/NGTs: Implications for Italian Agriculture and Breeding” | Source

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Introduction 

The proposal to deregulate plants developed through new genomic techniques (NGTs/TEA) in the European Union introduces a pivotal shift for the entire food and farming system in Italy. Traditionally, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been tightly regulated within the EU to ensure transparency, traceability, mandatory labeling, and thorough risk assessment—all crucial safeguards to protect consumers, farmers, breeders, and the broader ecosystem. This framework has allowed small and medium-scale breeders and farming communities to coexist, innovate, and safeguard biodiversity and cultural heritage in agriculture.

However, the deregulation of NGTs would remove many of these critical protections. By considering NGT-derived plants as indistinguishable from their conventional or naturally occurring counterparts, the proposal threatens to open genetic resources and agricultural production to patent claims, increased corporate concentration, and new legal risks. These changes present far-reaching consequences for Italy’s agricultural biodiversity, seed sovereignty, and the rights and livelihoods of both breeders and farmers, potentially reinforcing dependency on multinational corporations and restricting opportunities for agroecological resilience and innovation.

Key Issues and Risks 

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Patenting and Legal Risks

• Patents on genetic traits in NGT varieties limit the ability of breeders to use existing varieties, requiring costly licenses and permissions.
• A single patent can affect hundreds of plant varieties, while multiple patents may overlap on a single variety, creating a web of legal and financial barriers.
• The extension of patents to naturally occurring genetic sequences poses the risk of companies claiming rights over resources long used by traditional farming communities and public breeders.
• Farmers may lose the right to save and reuse seeds if their crops are inadvertently contaminated by patented traits, exposing them to costly legal disputes and dependence on commercial seed systems.
• Eliminating the requirement for companies to publish detection methods for genetic traits could facilitate biopiracy, allowing corporations to claim ownership of naturally occurring plants simply due to the presence of a patented gene or sequence.

Market Concentration and Biodiversity Loss

• The global seed market is already highly concentrated, with four multinational corporations controlling 60–65% of it and holding key patents on both existing and new genetic traits.
• Further deregulation could intensify this concentration, limiting access to diverse genetic material needed for innovation and adaptation in breeding, while reducing agro-biodiversity and the resilience of Italian food systems.

Impact on Organic and Non-GMO Sectors

• Without effective traceability and detection protocols, organic and non-GMO producers cannot certify the purity of their products, eroding consumer trust and damaging market access.
• The risk of contamination will force producers to invest in additional testing, legal defenses, and reputation management, escalating their production costs.

Economic and Structural Risks

• Historically, genetically modified seeds have seen price increases vastly outpacing those of conventional seeds, endangering the financial viability of many producers.
• The absence of harmonized liability rules creates legal uncertainty, as responsibility for contamination varies regionally, leaving affected farmers with costly and complex pathways to recourse.

The Need for Stronger Safeguards

A regulatory system that promotes innovation and agricultural resilience must balance technological advances with social and environmental responsibility. As Italy faces pressing ecological and economic challenges, any revision of the rules governing GMOs and NGTs must prioritize not only scientific progress but also the rights of farmers, small and medium-sized breeders, and consumers. Transparency, participatory research, and clear liability regulations are fundamental to ensuring genetic resources remain accessible as a commons, rather than being captured by a handful of powerful corporate interests.

Demands and Recommendations

• Maintain the application of Directive 2001/18 on GMOs, including mandatory risk assessment, traceability, and labeling for products developed through NGTs.
• Reject the EU Commission’s proposal for broad deregulation of NGTs.
• Redirect public funds currently allocated for NGT research toward programs supporting the development of resilient, conventionally-bred, and participatory plant varieties.
• Require companies developing NGT/TEA plants to publish methods for detection and identification of genetically modified traits.
• Invest in and support public research—at both national and EU level—for new detection technologies enabling independent monitoring by farmers, breeders, and producers.
• Amend Directive 98/44/EC on the protection of biotechnological inventions to prevent abusive extension of patent claims to plants that naturally contain a patented DNA sequence. 

The deregulation of new genomic techniques stands to jeopardize the achievements Italy has made in defending agricultural biodiversity, family farming, and food sovereignty. Without robust laws ensuring traceability, transparency, and fair intellectual property rules, the risks of increased market concentration, legal vulnerability for small producers, and biodiversity loss could dramatically reshape Italian agriculture. Reaffirming strong regulatory safeguards is not only a matter of protecting farmers and breeders, but of defending the integrity and sustainability of food systems for all. Only through participatory governance, transparent innovation, and respect for ecological limits can Italy and Europe chart a path towards a just and resilient agricultural future.

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