Several companies in the US and the EU are interested in genetically engineering oil producing Brassica plants such as camelina and oil seed rape. The aim is to alter the oil composition for specific purposes such as agrofuel production. Several of these plants exhibit a pattern of genetic changes that has resulted in significantly altered oil quality, which would have been almost impossible to achieve with conventional breeding methods (Kawall, 2021; Koller et al., 2024). In most cases, the number and type of genetic changes that are necessary to generate these NGT plants are within the proposed EU threshold for fast- track approval (see for example Bellec et al., 2024; Morineau et al.,
2017).

Brassica plants such as camelina or oilseed rape originate from Europe. The plants can survive and propagate in the environment as well as hybridise with natural populations. Experts are warning
that risks can arise from the cultivation of the NGT plants due to their altered oil quality and potential uncontrolled spread: interactions with beneficial insects and pollinators may be disturbed and defence responses to plant pathogens may be weakened (Kawall, 2021). In particular, changes in oil composition can affect the health of honey bees (Kawall, 2021; Koller et al., 2024).

Publication date / last update

February 2026

Furter information:

Bellec et al. (2022): New Flowering and Architecture Traits Mediated by Multiplex
CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing in Hexaploid Camelina sativa. Agronomy, 12: 1873.

Kawall (2021): Genome-edited Camelina sativa with a unique fatty acid content and its
potential impact on ecosystems. Environ Sci Eur, 33(1): 1-12.

Koller et al. (2024) Environmental risk scenarios of specific NGT applications in
Brassicaceae oilseed plants. Environ Sci Eur, 36(1): 189.

Morineau et al. (2017): Selective gene dosage by CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in
hexaploid Camelina sativa. Plant Biotechnol. J, 15: 729–739.