Esteban Alcalde has been president of the Foundation for the Application of New Technologies to Agriculture, Environment and Food (Antama) for 12 years, an organization that this year celebrates 25 years in Spain supporting research and biotechnology development for genetic improvement in agriculture.
Agronomist and doctor of pharmacy, Esteban Alcalde was one of the scientists who developed the first transgenic corn crop in Spain. He is also Director of Regulatory Affairs for Europe, Africa and the Middle East at Syngenta.
The Antama Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary in Spain. Why was it born and what conclusions can we draw from it?
The idea for Antama was born from a conversation between Delfín Biosca (then director of Novartis Seeds) and Jaime Costa (technical director of Monsanto), which I attended, about the unexpected difficulty of explaining the benefits that biotechnology applied to plants could bring to society. We realized that very simple concepts, like that foods naturally contain genes, were foreign even to people with a university education. It was necessary to carry out educational work for a society very far from agriculture and with a total ignorance of biotechnologies. The idea of creating a foundation that would meet this need was quickly adopted by other people and institutions. I particularly want to remember the late researcher Armando Albert, president of SEBIOT (Spanish Biotechnology Society), who was an essential collaborator in ensuring the scientific rigor of the communication. The foundation’s assessment, taking into account the means at our disposal and the challenge we face, is very positive, but being aware that there is immense work to be done and that new challenges are emerging, such as that of genetic editing, which needs to be noted.
“It is estimated that farmers will be able to carry out the first commercial plantation with genetic modification in 2028”
What have biotech crops brought to Spain over the last 25 years in terms of productivity?
Since the cultivation of Bt maize, the only genetically modified seed authorized in the EU, began in our country in 1998, it has brought many environmental, economic and social benefits to our agriculture and rural environment. As Spain celebrated 20 years of continuous Bt corn cultivation, economists Francisco J. Areal of Newcastle University (UK) and Laura Riesgo of Pablo Olavide University produced a report to analyze sustainability of Bt corn in Spain from 1998 to 2021. From this analysis, it appears that the productivity of our farmers has clearly increased. This crop allowed our farmers to obtain an additional production of 1.76 million tonnes and to achieve these production levels with conventional corn, it would have been necessary to cultivate an additional agricultural area of 166,934 hectares during the aforementioned period . And with this also its competitiveness or aspects as relevant as a significant reduction in our needs for corn imports. Download elEconomista Agro for free here
And in terms of environmental sustainability?
The cultivation of Bt corn has many environmental benefits over these years in aspects as important for the sustainability of our natural environment as carbon sequestration, reducing the water footprint or a resource as important as land. During the period 1998-2021 alone, the cultivation of Bt corn in Spain allowed an additional carbon fixation equivalent to 1.37 million tonnes of CO2, which means offsetting the emissions of more than 9.103 million kilometers traveled by vehicles. If we consider the water footprint, Spain saved 93 million cubic meters of water during this period. And of these 93 million, 65 million would correspond to irrigation water and 28 million to water used to dilute nitrogen fertilizers. These are quantities that would have had to be used to achieve the same production with conventional corn. The irrigation water saved alone is equivalent to supplying the entire city of Zaragoza with water for a year.
He was one of the pioneering scientists in the development of GMOs. Why do you think they get such a bad rap?
Because fighting against disinformation and fake news is very difficult and on the other hand, companies and scientists working in the field of biotechnology are not ready to communicate their innovation in a society as complex as the current one.
After losing the GMO war in the EU, the sector is now interested in genetic editing. What are the differences between them and what can CRISPR technology bring to the agricultural sector?
Gene editing gives European farmers hope for the benefits of plant breeding innovation. The main difference with GMOs (“transgenic” plants) is that these plants do not contain any genes from another organism. CRISPR technology allows genes to be edited very precisely so that the plant adapts better to environmental conditions, defends itself against disease or does not produce compounds that could be harmful. For example, the team of Dr. Fernando Barro from the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture in Córdoba has developed a low-gluten wheat that can be very interesting for people affected by celiac disease.
The EU has indeed opened the door to genetic editing. Does its regulation, as it was designed, meet the expectations of the sector or is it insufficient?
The criteria on which the regulation proposed by the Commission is based are very “conservative”, but we believe that at present, although in our opinion they are very restrictive, they would give a big boost to innovation in Europe. From this point of view, the sector considers them positive.
Another problem is the delay in its processing. Was the Spanish presidency a missed opportunity?
The work of the Ministry of Agriculture team on this issue during the Spanish presidency has been magnificent. This has been recognized by the representations of many countries and by European associations linked to the subject. This was so positive that it gave hope that a position on the Council could have been achieved before any planned date. Unfortunately, the Polish delegation blocked the possibility of an agreement, also during the Belgian presidency, and we fear that this delay will continue in the coming months.
When might we see the results of gene editing in Europe?
The development of new regulations in the EU is extremely lengthy and, after obtaining approval for genetic modification, any cultivated variety must undergo a period of testing by the authorities to verify its agronomic value. According to current estimates, farmers will be able to carry out the first commercial plantations in 2028.
The European agricultural sector has been mobilized, among other reasons, by the paradox of imposing requirements on it that are not asked of imported countries. Does the same thing happen with GMOs, that some cannot be grown but can be imported?
Unfortunately, this is the case. In Europe, the GMOs that we import on a large scale cannot be cultivated. For example, more than 90 percent of soy consumed in Europe is genetically modified, but its cultivation is not permitted for European farmers, who are unfairly at a strong disadvantage compared to external producers, worsening the crisis in the countryside. This doesn’t make any sense. The long-awaited Draghi report, presented on September 9 and which could serve as a road map for the new European Commission, denounces that excessive regulation is stifling European competitiveness. Although not mentioned directly, this is a clear example of how EU regulations can reduce the competitiveness of our farmers.
