Periodic Reporting for period 3 - CHIC (Chicory as a multipurpose crop for dietary fibre and medicinal terpenes)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-01-01 do 2022-12-31
Root chicory is grown on a relatively small area mainly in the south of The Netherlands, Belgium and northern France. From its roots, the dietary fiber inulin is extracted which is used as ingredient in products like yogurts and bars to stimulate gut health and serving as non-caloric sweetener. Chicory roots also accumulate terpenes but these are discarded as waste from inulin extraction because they are bitter-tasting. As terpenes from other plants have highly interesting health properties, the potential of genome editing to develop root chicory into a multipurpose crop from which improved inulin and healthy terpenes can be extracted was investigated. Developing new chicory varieties via conventional plant breeding can easily take between one or two decades. Moreover, chicory is self-incompatible making crossings in breeding programs complex. Therefore, genome editing can make a difference.
In public debates, genome editing frequently raises high expectations as well as strong concerns. Therefore, CHIC aimed to involve a broad range of stakeholders to raise awareness and discuss issues associated both with the chicory varieties developed in the project and with genome editing in general. CHIC evaluated several genome editing methods with respect to efficiency and safety and investigated possible scenarios of commercial use for these genome edited chicory lines with respect to environmental, regulatory, socio-economic and broader societal impact. CHIC strived to communicate openly by implementing innovative communication methods. For example, artists have made themselves familiar with genome editing techniques and expressed their feelings and views in artworks to inspire a broader public debate.
The methods were implemented to generate a multitude of chicory varieties: varieties with a higher quality of healthy inulin because inulin degradation in autumn is prevented, as well as varieties that are reduced in bitter terpenes which greatly facilitates the extraction of inulin. In addition, varieties were created that accumulate specific terpenes of potential interest for medicinal use. The latter was guided by bioassays that have identified terpenes from chicory roots with very interesting anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. Finally, the self-incompatibility of chicory was disrupted, simplifying crossing and allowing for more efficient breeding. Through these experiments scientific knowledge was generated on chicory biology and in particularly on its bioactive compounds, their biosynthesis and storage.
A Stakeholder Advisory Group with representatives of industry, academia, agriculture and end-users interacted with the CHIC consortium during the entire project period. In addition, consultations with a broader range of stakeholders covering the entire agriculture and food value chain, policy makers and regulators helped to clarify hindering and facilitating factors for genome-edited plants in general and for root chicory innovation in particular. Scenarios differing in aspects such as whether CRISPR edited chicory is regulated as GMO or not, and what type of products are isolated from them, were evaluated for their socio-economic and environmental impacts over the whole value chain. They show that inulin and/or terpene production based on the new chicory variants create more jobs, generate higher value added, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and primary energy demand compared to the current process.
A lot of emphasis was put on communication about the CHIC project and its aims. A website from which flyers, newsletters and explanatory movies can be accessed and social media channels, were set up. Artists visited laboratories and created art works allowing for another type of interaction with the general publics. An educational game (MyChicFarm) was developed and CHIC partners visited schools and organized panel discussions targeting in particular young citizens.
CHIC also monitored regulations related to genome editing worldwide. For the EU, the European Court of Justice ruled that all genome edited plants are regulated as GMOs. The regulatory field is at the moment changing fast with big differences appearing between continents and countries. The project clearly shows that the promising food related applications will only be further pursued by business actors in the EU if the regulatory status for certain gene edited plants is changed.
CHIC primarily aimed at traits with health benefits for consumers. Using the knowledge base established by CHIC other traits could also be introduced into root chicory in relatively short time frames. In a broader perspective, CHIC demonstrated that genome editing can be a powerful tool to help to stimulate agricultural biodiversity in Europe by improving niche crops, which have relatively little investment leverage. In synergism with other breeding and farming methods, this is highly relevant for maintaining food security and improving sustainable production while at the same time dealing with the challenges of climate change.