Regulation of genome editing in plant biotechnology: Australia

Two Australian regulatory frameworks are fundamental to the cultivation of genome edited plants and marketing of their products. These are the gene technology and food regulatory frameworks. Both frameworks rely on process triggers—that process being the use of gene technology. Unfortunately, these frameworks use different definitions of gene technology, creating the likelihood of different responses to genome edited plants, particularly to plants produced using SDN-2 or ODM. No genome edited plants are currently cultivated in Australia but the relevant regulators are each currently undertaking reviews to determine whether some or all genome editing techniques are gene technology and how their frameworks should respond to those techniques. Final decisions are expected during 2018. In the meantime, the regulators have each adopted interim approaches to genome edited plants or their products, summarised in the first table.