Data challenges for future plant gene editing: expert opinion.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science and Technology
• Biotechnology and Genomics
• Data Science and Informatics

Background:

• The rapid digitization of agriculture generates vast amounts of data from crop and input monitoring systems.
• These agricultural data offer valuable insights for the agri-food supply chain, with potential applications in precision farming.
• Gene editing technologies, combined with data analytics, present opportunities to improve crop performance and global food security.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report expert opinions on the challenges and opportunities of using agricultural data for developing and approving new crop traits.
• To explore mechanisms for managing and protecting agricultural data, addressing concerns about intellectual property and accessibility.
• To assess the projected impact of computing power and genome editing on the global agri-food system by 2030.

Main Methods:

• Expert opinion survey on agricultural data utilization, gene editing, and future trends.
• Analysis of challenges related to data security, privacy, intellectual property, and accessibility.
• Forecasting the potential effects of technological synergy on the agri-food sector.

Main Results:

• Experts are optimistic that by 2030, the combination of computing power and genome editing will significantly impact the global agri-food system.
• Significant challenges exist regarding data infrastructure, policies, security, privacy, intellectual property, and accessibility.
• The European Union may not fully participate in this agricultural transformation due to existing or anticipated challenges.

Conclusions:

• The synergy of advanced computing and genome editing holds transformative potential for global agriculture and food security.
• Addressing data-related challenges, including governance and intellectual property, is crucial for realizing these benefits.
• Proactive policy and infrastructure development are needed to ensure equitable participation in agricultural innovation, particularly within the EU.