From Research to Policy: Insights from GeneBEcon’s 5th Consortium Meeting

The 5th GeneBEcon Consortium Meeting brought partners and stakeholders together in Berlin to assess progress, strategize for the project’s final phase, and explore ways to maximize the impact of its results. Highlights included insightful presentations from project partners, updates from the Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB), and sessions on advancing the project’s Key Exploitable Results. Partners also refined the NGT Transition Action Plan in a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Workshop facilitated by XPRO Consulting. This plan outlines short-, medium-, and long-term actions to boost awareness of new genomic techniques (NGTs) and counter misinformation across diverse stakeholders, including farmers, the food industry, policymakers, and NGOs.

Participants also engaged in an Exploitation Workshop with external advisors and the Horizon Booster Service, focusing on strategies to sustain the project’s impact beyond its conclusion. The consortium’s work on systems mapping was another focal point, offering frameworks to connect GeneBEcon’s research with policy pathways and practical applications in sustainable agriculture and plant breeding.

The Final RRI Workshop: Advancing the NGT Transition Action Plan

The third and final Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) workshop on the NGT Transition Action Plan, designed and facilitated by XPRO Consulting Limited, took place on 25 October 2024 in Berlin during the 5th Consortium Meeting.

This interactive session brought together the Stakeholder Advisory Board, external stakeholders, and GeneBEcon partners to evaluate and refine the proposed Transition Action Plan for new genomic techniques (NGTs). Participants analyzed actions and their interdependencies across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons, focusing on six key stakeholder groups: farmer associations, breeder associations, the food industry, consumer associations, policymakers, and NGOs.

The workshop aimed at addressing the challenges of misinformation and disinformation, affirming the plan’s strategic direction. Attendees emphasized the importance of inclusive discussions, mutual learning, and actionable steps to enhance NGT awareness and sustainable plant breeding. Building on these insights, the GeneBEcon team at XPRO Consulting is now finalizing the Transition Action Plan, which will result into six specific NGTs Transition Pathways, one for each stakeholder group.