In an inquiry act adopted on October 29, 2025, the Agriculture Committee of the Senate expressed unanimously a clear and firm position: the Italian government must do everything to unblock as soon as possible the European negotiation on deregulation of new GMOs, also known as New Genomic Techniques (NGT) or, in Italy, Assisted Evolution Techniques (TEA).
This decision, in accepting the demands of financial oligarchies and large agricultural confederations, raises serious concern in civil society for the implications on the principle of precaution, the biodiversity, the traceability and the transparency. That is, the pillars on which consumer trust in the ‘Made in Italy’ agri-food sector and its very resilience are based.
New GMOs, the false mirage
The Senate resolution describes new GMOs as a ‘genuine revolution’, necessary to develop crops resistant to climate change, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and ensure the competitiveness of companies. It thus fully supports the European Commission's 2023 proposal that distinguishes genetically modified organisms using innovative techniques (e.g. Crispr-9) into two categories:
- NGT of Category 1, subject to fewer than 20 genetic modifications (excluding those aimed at obtaining herbicide resistance, falsely considered ‘equivalent’ to seeds obtained by traditional selection techniques;
- NGT of Category 2, instead subject to more extensive genetic manipulation or made precisely to induce resistance of the respective plants to herbicide spraying (e.g. glyphosate), like almost all first-generation GMOs.
It is precisely on this deregulation mechanism for Category 1 that the greatest criticisms are focused. The Senate, in fact, is committed to pushing for a 'clear and effective' EU regulation, which in practice means adopting the proposed regulation despite opposition from civil society.
The unresolved issues: traceability, labeling, and patents
As already highlighted in a recent analysis on Food Times (Dongo, 2025) the ongoing trilogue negotiations – involving representatives from the European Parliament, Council (of Member States), and Commission – are focused on three fundamental issues: traceability, labeling, and patents. The Senate's position seems to want to overcome these obstacles quickly, but at what price?
NGT-1 plants, falsely considered equivalent to conventional ones, would not be subject to traceability or labeling. This means that products derived from these crops could end up on supermarket shelves without the consumer being informed, effectively nullifying transparency and freedom of choice. How can a control system and accurate information be guaranteed if these products are completely invisible in the supply chain?
The Senate document then expressly cites the need to protect the confidentiality of the geographic coordinates of experimental sites, as some of them have been subject to acts of vandalism. However, this measure risks fostering a climate of opacity, further distancing citizens from decision-making and innovation processes.
The alternative, participatory 'bio-breeding'
While politics bets everything on a technology with a high risk of opacity, robust, transparent, and tested alternatives already exist. The bio-breeding, that is, plant genetic improvement conducted with ecological and participatory methods, represents the true forefront for resilient agriculture.
Italian excellence experiences like those of Sativa e Seminare il Futuro have demonstrated for years that it is possible to select high-yield varieties, resistant to diseases and climate stresses, working with nature and not against it, through traditional crossings, selections in organic fields, and the direct involvement of farmers and researchers.
This path guarantees full traceability, preserves the biodiversity and returns control of seeds to the community, without depending on patents and market logics that threaten food sovereignty.
Precautionary principle under attack
Another serious concern regards the precautionary principle. The proposed regulation provides for a ‘proportional’ risk assessment for NGT-2. However, ‘proportional’ risks being a euphemism for ‘simplified’ and ‘accelerated’, as the resolution itself emphasizes when it speaks of ‘significant simplification of theprocess’. This approach could expose to risks to the environment and health which is impossible to assess in a short time, with impact on a crucial sector such as the agri-food chain.
The Italian agri-food sector, famous worldwide for its quality and connection to the territory, bases its wealth on biodiversity. The massive and untracked introduction of genetically modified organisms could trigger unpredictable genetic contaminations, threatening traditional local varieties and our unique ecosystems.
Preliminary conclusions
In conclusion, while the Agriculture Committee of the Italian Senate unanimously votes in favor of the deregulation of new GMOs, civil society, organic farmers, and more attentive consumers raise an alarm signal. Pushing for a rushed conclusion to the negotiations, without having resolved the crucial issues of transparency and precaution, means prioritizing the interests of a few at the expense of the community.
The appeal to the European Commission and Parliament is not to give in to pressure and to ensure that any regulation on NGTs places at the center safety, traceability and the citizens' right to know what they put on their plate. Public health and biodiversity should remain at the center.
Dario Dongo
Notes
- Dongo, D. (2025, October 22). NGTs, the new GMOs at the crossroads of EU agriculture. FT (Food Times).
- Senate of the Republic. (2025, October 29). Act of Parliamentary Inquiry no. 7-00029. (Doc. XXIV, no. 35). https://www.senato.it/loc/link.asp?id=1475949&leg=19&tipodoc=sindisp
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT – Food Times) and Égalité.
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