Assessing risks associated with large-scale adoption of CRISPR gene-edited crops

CRISPR gene-edited crops have demonstrated promising potential to ensure food security in a world witnessing extreme climate change and exponential population growth. This study assesses the risks associated with the widespread adoption of CRISPR crops in agricultural fields. Major ecological risks include the evolution of superweeds, rise in resistant pest populations and monocultures, loss of biodiversity, food chain disruption, and the possibility of gene flow. The authors identify four key factors to ensure sustainable intensification with CRISPR crops: (i) unconventional approaches to design and develop new gene-edited crop strains that incorporate fail-safe mechanisms, (ii) early stakeholder engagement on technology development and deployment built on the foundation of effective science communication to identify and address pain-points, (iii) strategically planned and monitored deployment of new crop strains to prevent identified risks, and (iv) regulatory frameworks to prevent international and national monopoly of few entities in gene-edited crop development and distribution.