Europe’s draft gene-editing law may only survive thanks to the far right. The new law would determine whether Europe opens the door to a new generation of gene-edited plants, an innovation boon worth trillions of euros. But after months of hours-long meetings, fraying tempers and déjà-vu debates, the small circle of officials trying to hammer out the legislation know they’ve hit a wall. Now, inside the negotiation rooms, a taboo is starting to look like a safety valve. Two right-wing MEPs — allies of Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini — look ready to break the impasse. “The left is blocking negotiations,” said Silvia Sardone, a rising star in Italy’s far-right Lega party. “Their demands are impossible to meet.” Though they would never put it so bluntly, other negotiators on the New Genomic Techniques file agree with her. Week in, week out, European Commission officials, national diplomats and Parliament representatives lean over annotated printouts that, by now, feel more familiar than their own phones. Supporters say the technology could help develop crops that cope with drought and cut chemical use. Critics fear it would strengthen big seed companies through patents and squeeze out smaller breeders. But whenever talks resume, they fall apart immediately — not over objections from governments or the Commission, but because the Parliament’s own voices are pulling in opposite directions.  French Socialist Christophe Clergeau, backed by Greens and the The Left, is holding the line on stronger protections for small companies, consumers and the environment. Swedish conservative Jessica Polfjärd, playing the role of the Parliament’s broker, is struggling to keep her camp together. Meanwhile, two members of the group — previously ignored — are quietly indicating they’re ready to settle. It’s in that vacuum that a once-taboo idea has crept into the conversation: What if the far right is now the only way to get this done? THE NEW ARITHMETIC Just a few months ago, that would have been dismissed outright. But after last week’s raucous vote in the Parliament chamber — when the center right openly teamed up with far-right groups to bulldoze a deregulation package through a booing hemicycle — it no longer sounds so outlandish. The Commission says it cannot concede more changes. Governments say they have already gone as far as they can. The text bounces back to the table, unchanged. French Socialist Christophe Clergeau, backed by Greens and the The Left, is holding the line on stronger protections for small companies, consumers and the environment. | Fred Marvaux/European Parliament “We are circling the same paragraphs every week,” said one diplomat, who like others in this story was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. That’s where two unlikely figures hover at the edge of the impasse. One is Pietro Fiocchi, an Italian heir to a historic ammunition dynasty, a hunting evangelist who addresses “dear hunters and fishermen friends” in Facebook videos, and a man known for once appearing on a campaign poster pointing a gun. The other is Sardone, a combative hardliner who rails against “green follies,” edible insects and electric cars. She has made headlines for social media posts warning of “Islamization,” alleging ties between far-left activists and Islamic extremists, and attacking the Romani community. Neither is anyone’s idea of a biotech champion. But both have indicated they’re willing to accept the slimmed-down deal governments say is the only realistic option. And the pair’s readiness has changed the mood. The threat of the far right stepping in could force Clergeau to accept a weaker compromise — a centrist move which is in vogue in the Parliament — according to a Parliament official close to the talks. This is only to avoid an even weaker, far-right-backed deal being pushed through without him, the official added. Swedish conservative Jessica Polfjärd, playing the role of the Parliament’s broker, is struggling to keep her camp together. | Fred Marvaux/European Parliament Clergeau flatly rejected that scenario, saying the talks hadn’t reached that point and that nothing new had emerged to warrant further comment. He previously said he is pressing for proof that new genomic techniques actually deliver benefits, not just promises on paper. The deal, he argued, must not accelerate the concentration of the seed market in the hands of a few multinational companies, at the expense of smaller breeders and farmers. Polfjärd declined to comment for this story, pointing to the sensitivity of the ongoing talks. Last year, MEPs overwhelmingly backed a ban on patents for gene-edited plants, in a rare show of unity from the far right to the far left. This time, a majority — including a sizeable chunk of Clergeau’s own Socialists — is expected to support whatever deal the negotiators manage to hammer out if that’s what it takes to get the regulation into law. That’s one reason EU diplomats argue Clergeau is no longer reflecting the balance inside the Parliament. But before any of that matters, negotiators still have to break the deadlock inside the room. A fresh round of technical meetings is scheduled for Thursday and next week, before what is expected to be a decisive political-level session in early December. Few around the table believe the remaining disagreements will magically resolve themselves before then. Which leaves one uncomfortable calculation hanging over every meeting. As another diplomat put it: “If that’s what it takes to get the deal through, then why not?”

At New York Climate Week in September, opinion leaders voiced concern that high-profile events often gloss over the deep inequalities exposed by climate change, especially how poorer populations suffer disproportionately and struggle to access mitigation or adaptation resources. The message was clear: climate policies should better reflect social justice concerns, ensuring they are inclusive and do not unintentionally favor those already privileged.  We believe access to food sits at the heart of this call for inclusion, because everything starts with food: it is a fundamental human right and a foundation for health, education and opportunity. It is also a lever for climate, economic and social resilience.  > We believe access to food sits at the heart of this call for inclusion, > because everything starts with food This makes the global conversation around food systems transformation more urgent than ever. Food systems are under unprecedented strain. Without urgent, coordinated action, billions of people face heightened risks of malnutrition, displacement and social unrest.   Delivering systemic transformation requires coordinated cross-sector action, not fragmented solutions. Food systems are deeply interconnected, and isolated interventions cannot solve systemic problems. The Food and Agriculture Organization’s recent Transforming Food and Agriculture Through a Systems Approach report calls for systems thinking and collaboration across the value chain to address overlapping food, health and environmental challenges.   Now, with COP30 on the horizon, unified and equitable solutions are needed to benefit entire value chains and communities. This is where a systems approach becomes essential.  A systems approach to transforming food and agriculture  Food systems transformation must serve both people and planet. We must ensure everyone has access to safe, nutritious food while protecting human rights and supporting a just transition.   At Tetra Pak, we support food and beverage companies throughout the journey of food production, from processing raw ingredients like milk and fruit to packaging and distribution. This end-to-end perspective gives us a unique view into the interconnected challenges within the food system, and how an integrated approach can help manufacturers reduce food loss and waste, improve energy and water efficiency, and deliver food where it is needed most.   Meaningful reductions to emissions require expanding the use of renewable and carbon-free energy sources. As outlined in our Food Systems 2040 whitepaper,1 the integration of low-carbon fuels like biofuels and green hydrogen, alongside electrification supported by advanced energy storage technologies, will be critical to driving the transition in factories, farms and food production and processing facilities.   Digitalization also plays a key role. Through advanced automation and data-driven insights, solutions like Tetra Pak® PlantMaster enable food and beverage companies to run fully automated plants with a single point of control for their production, helping them improve operational efficiency, minimize production downtime and reduce their environmental footprint.  The “hidden middle”: A critical gap in food systems policy  Today, much of the focus on transforming food systems is placed on farming and on promoting healthy diets. Both are important, but they risk overlooking the many and varied processes that get food from the farmer to the end consumer. In 2015 Dr Thomas Reardon coined the term the “hidden middle” to describe this midstream segment of global agricultural value chains.2   This hidden middle includes processing, logistics, storage, packaging and handling, and it is pivotal. It accounts for approximately 22 percent of food-based emissions and between 40-60 percent of the total costs and value added in food systems.3 Yet despite its huge economic value, it receives only 2.5 to 4 percent of climate finance.4  Policymakers need to recognize the full journey from farm to fork as a lynchpin priority. Strategic enablers such as packaging that protects perishable food and extends shelf life, along with climate-resilient processing technologies, can maximize yield and minimize loss and waste across the value chain. In addition, they demonstrate how sustainability and competitiveness can go hand in hand.  Alongside this, climate and development finance must be redirected to increase investment in the hidden middle, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up most of the sector.   Collaboration in action  Investment is just the start. Change depends on collaboration between stakeholders across the value chain: farmers, food manufacturers, brands, retailers, governments, financiers and civil society.  In practice, a systems approach means joining up actors and incentives at every stage.5 The dairy sector provides a perfect example of the possibilities of connecting. We work with our customers and with development partners to establish dairy hubs in countries around the world. These hubs connect smallholder farmers with local processors, providing chilling infrastructure, veterinary support, training and reliable routes to market.6 This helps drive higher milk quality, more stable incomes and safer nutrition for local communities.  Our strategic partnership with UNIDO* is a powerful example of this collaboration in action. Together, we are scaling Dairy Hub projects in Kenya, building on the success of earlier initiatives with our customer Githunguri Dairy. UNIDO plays a key role in securing donor funding and aligning public-private efforts to expand local dairy production and improve livelihoods. This model demonstrates how collaborations can unlock changes in food systems.  COP30 and beyond  Strategic investment can strengthen local supply chains, extend social protections and open economic opportunity, particularly in vulnerable regions. Lasting progress will require a systems approach, with policymakers helping to mitigate transition costs and backing sustainable business models that build resilience across global food systems for generations to come.   As COP30 approaches, we urge policymakers to consider food systems as part of all decision-making, to prevent unintended trade-offs between climate and nutrition goals. We also recommend that COP30 negotiators ensure the Global Goal on Adaptation include priorities indicators that enable countries to collect, monitor and report data on the adoption of climate-resilient technologies and practices by food processors. This would reinforce the importance of the hidden middle and help unlock targeted adaptation finance across the food value chain.  When every actor plays their part, from policymakers to producers, and from farmers to financiers, the whole system moves forward. Only then can food systems be truly equitable, resilient and sustainable, protecting what matters most: food, people and the planet.  * UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)  Disclaimer POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT * The sponsor is Tetra Pak * The ultimate controlling entity is Brands2Life Ltd * The advertisement is linked to policy advocacy regarding food systems and climate policy More information here. https://www.politico.eu/7449678-2