Vandalism and destruction of agricultural research – an attack on scientific freedom
A statement by Öko-Progressives Netzwerk e. V. (Eco-progressive Network registered voluntary association)
Statement
We, the board and members of the Eco-Progressive Network e. V., strongly condemn the destruction of the field trials conducted by researchers at the Universities of Verona and Milan. These incidents are not only an attack on the work of researchers but also an attack on academic freedom. Furthermore, they represent an attempt to obstruct innovations in agriculture that could contribute to making farming more sustainable and resilient, particularly in the face of climate change.
Field trial with Resistant Risottoreis in 2024
The first European field trials with genome-edited (CRISPR) plants took place in 2024. An Italian research group from the University of Milan wanted to find out whether the properties of a genome-edited rice variety observed under laboratory conditions would also show up under field conditions. Such an incident occurred in 2024 when an Italian research group from the University of Milan was conducting a field trial with a genome-edited rice variety. The risotto rice variety RIS8imo was designed to be resistant to the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and was planted in May 2024 with 200 seedlings. However, by June 2024, this field trial was destroyed by vandalism.
Importance of Rice Blast Disease
Rice blast can lead to crop losses of up to 50 % in severe cases (pflanzenforschung.de, science.org) , posing a significant threat to food security in certain regions. A rice variety resistant to Magnaporthe oryzae could stabilize yields and reduce the need for fungicides. These were among the aspects the field trial aimed to assess, but the vandalism prevented this research from proceeding.
Field trial with resistant Grapevine variety ‘Chardonnay’ in 2024
Despite the destruction of the University of Milan’s research field, genome-edited Chardonnay vines were planted at the University of Verona in autumn 2024. These grapevines were designed to be resistant to the downy mildew pathogen Plasmopara viticola (nature.com).
This pathogen is responsible for severe crop losses under humid and warm conditions, as observed e.g. in the German wine-growing region of the Palatinate in 2021 and 2024. In organically farmed plots, persistent rainfall led to complete harvest failures (Rheinpfalz.de).
Importance of Grapevine Breeding
Grapevines require one of the highest amounts of plant protection products, particularly fungicides against fungal diseases, to ensure yield protection. Therefore, significant efforts are being made to introduce more resistant grapevine varieties. These could play a crucial role in reducing the overall use of plant protection products. However, breeding new grapevine varieties is particularly time-consuming due to the complexity of grapevine genetics (PAW – Rebenzüchtung). As a result, great hopes are placed in new breeding technologies such as genome editing. However, the University of Verona’s trial was also deliberately destroyed in February 2025 (seedworld.com, decanter.com).
Field trials are essential for research
In the debate surrounding New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) such as genome editing (e.g., with CRISPR/Cas), it is often claimed that there is a lack of concrete positive examples and experiences with these methods. A frequently cited argument is the supposed lack of scientific evidence from field trials, particularly regarding the practicality or environmental impact of genome-edited organisms. However, when researchers attempt to gather relevant data to answer these open questions, such trials are often sabotaged by opponents of NGTs.
Confession
The Eco-Progressive Network e. V. stands with the researchers of the Universities of Milan (rice) and Verona (grapevines) and defends academic freedom. Protecting scientific research is essential for sustainable innovation.
The text was created on behalf of the Executive Board by Moritz Fritschle, Robert Hoffie and Sophia Müllner.
In the meantime (since 07/2023) she has been working as a consultant for plant protection products and plant breeding.
Since 2021, she has been a member of the Öko-progressives Netzwerk e. V.and is committed to a progressive agricultural turnaround.
Tagged with: breeding, crispr, Destruction, Field, Freedom, Genome Editing, ngt, Science, Statement, Support, Vandalism
