Australian regulatory response to genome edited plants

Genetic variation in plants is fundamental to food security. Biotechnology can speed up plant breeding and creation of that variation. Genome editing techniques, including CRISPR/Cas9, modify DNA more accurately and cheaply compared to older biotechnology techniques such as genetic modification. However, development and uptake of genome editing techniques requires clear regulatory pathways. Those pathways are contested in most jurisdictions and the regulation of the resulting plants is becoming