Genetically engineered barley grown in a secured field in Zurich
For the first time, barley has been sown in Switzerland that has been genetically engineered using the new CRISPR/Cas method.

I cover food and agribusiness and have a special interest in sustainable supply chains, food safety and quality, as well emerging players and trends in the food industry. A background in forestry and conservation biology led me down the path of environmental advocacy. Journalism and Switzerland made me a neutral observer who holds companies accountable for their actions.

I have a wealth of experience as a journalist working in Switzerland and enjoy producing videos, articles and podcasts on a range of subjects, recently focused mainly on politics and the environment. Born in the UK, I studied law at Nottingham University, then went on to attend the first-ever post-graduate radio journalism college in London. After working as a radio journalist in the UK and then Switzerland from 1984 to 1995, I returned to the UK to complete a post-graduate diploma in film at Bournemouth Film School. I have been working as a video journalist ever since.
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The commercial cultivation of genetically modified plants is banned in Switzerland, but plants bred through gene editing techniques like CRISPR that do not contain transgenes are not considered genetically modified organisms. The field trial is being carried out at a protected site in Zurich-Reckenholz used by the Swiss agricultural research body Agroscope. SWI swissinfo.ch visited the field trial to find out what the scientists hope to achieve, and why their work is so heavily protected, even though it is legal.
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