In working groups, representatives of Colombia and Ecuador drafted the Andean proposal, and those of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay drafted the Southern Cone proposal. The shared goal is a regional gene-editing platform for crops and livestock. The project’s state-of-the-art review recommends:

• using gene editing as a complement to conventional breeding;

• building alliances among institutes, universities and companies;

• harmonizing regulations across countries;

• communicating the technology’s benefits clearly.