Ghent, Belgium – On 3-4 November 2025, ISF led two high-impact sessions on Plant Breeding Innovation (PBI) at the 17th International Symposium on Biosafety Research (ISBR), held 2–6 November.
Hosted by ISF Regulatory Affairs Manager Khaoula Belhaj Fragnière, in collaboration with John McMurdy of CropLife International, these sessions convened global scientific, regulatory, and industry leaders to advance the policy dialogue on genome editing and other plant breeding innovations.
Both sessions directly support ISF’s strategic priority on Future-Proofing Policies (KSO Project 4), reinforcing the federation’s commitment to science-based, innovation-enabling regulatory frameworks worldwide.
Session 1 – Technical Parallel Session (3 November)
Facilitator: Ray Dobert (Harambe Ag)
This technical deep dive focused on the accelerating role of plant breeding innovation in crop improvement and the need for regulatory adaptation to keep pace. Contributions came from:
- Naomi Stevens (Chair, ISF PBI Coordination Group; Bayer)
- Maria Federova (Corteva)
- Rod Snowden (University of Giessen, Germany)
- Hilde Nelissen (VIB, Belgium)
- Facundo Simeone (Government of Argentina)
Key Takeaways
- Genome editing as a foundational breeding tool:
Speakers demonstrated how genome editing is enabling highly targeted trait development—including drought tolerance and chromosomal re-engineering—opening new frontiers in crop improvement. - Regulatory evolution in action:
Argentina’s experience highlighted a shift away from edit-specific assessments toward approaches that can accommodate increasingly complex applications of genome editing. - Global harmonization remains essential:
ISF presented the updated PBI Global Policy Map and its recent publication “Call for Policy Actions to Foster Plant Breeding Innovation”, underscoring the need for coherent international policies and shared best practices.
Session 2 – Policy Workshop (4 November)
Moderator: John-Paul Judson (Nowmore)
This interactive policy dialogue gathered voices from the ISF Plant Breeding Innovation Coordination Group and government representatives, including:
- Dan Jenkins (Pairwise)
- Ken Allens (Canada)
- Facundo Simeone (Argentina)
- Maako Sugiyama (Japan)
- Richard Kino (United Kingdom)
Using live audience polling (Mentimeter), the session examined policy trends, implementation experiences, and regulatory best practices from around the world.
Key Insights from ~100 Participants
- Countries voted to have the most effective regulatory approach to genome editing are Argentina followed by Canada, UK and Australia.
- Strong endorsement that genome editing provides a new opportunity for innovation in the development of new plant products
- Strong endorsement that regulations should encourage investments and innovation in the development of genome editing
- Strong endorsement that consistency between regulatory frameworks is essential for the future of genome editing
Why This Dialogue Matters
ISBR is a global platform for promoting sound science in sustainable bio-innovation and risk analysis. This biannual symposium provides a unique forum that fosters productive dialogue among scientists, technology developers, industry, policymakers, regulators, and non-governmental organizations.
By fostering open dialogues on PBI regulations in this forum, ISF continues to play a leading role in shaping a future where plant breeding innovation can thrive – an essential step towards tackling global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and food and nutrition insecurity. Side events and informal connections between industry, governments, and scientific experts are key to driving long-term credible relationships and sound policies.#
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