Market introduction of plant varieties and products with gene-edited traits

Gene editing technologies can be used to develop new traits in plants by modifying DNA at specific locations. In many countries, plants made using these techniques, collectively called New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), are being regulated more leniently than transgenic genetically modified organisms (GMOs), opening possibilities for releasing gene-edited plant varieties onto the market. In other countries, including the European Union (EU), proposals for an adapted regulation are in discussion. We describe how the different types of modifications made with NGTs are regulated across the world. We provide an updated overview of gene-edited plant products that have been marketed worldwide, approved, or are currently in field trials. Consumer perception may be a challenge for plant products made using NGTs, but otherwise the commercialization of these new varieties faces the same challenges as new conventional products, including farmer and processor needs, market competition, and consumer preferences.