NIAB welcomes ‘green light’ for gene-editing technology

• Law paves way for gene editing

• ‘Benefits farmers and consumers’

• ‘Revolution for food production’

A new law paves the way for the faster breeding and development of high-yielding, more nutritious and climate-resilient UK arable crops, say scientists.

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act became law earlier this spring. It covers precision-bred plants and animals developed through techniques such as gene editing – creating beneficial traits that would take decades using traditional breeding.

The act sets in motion changes to allow farmers to grow crops which are drought and disease resistant, reduce fertiliser and pesticide usage, and breed animals that are protected from harmful diseases.

NIAB chief executive Mario Caccamo said the new law took gene editing out of the scope of restrictive rules applied to genetically modified organisms. In doing so, it paved the way for a more straightforward route to market for innovative plant varieties, he added.

Gene-editing has already helped develop wheat with improved food safety, oilseeds with enriched Omega-3 oils and barley with potential to improve livestock productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Prof Caccamo added: “Gene editing offers significant opportunities to support healthier, safer and more sustainable farming and food production systems, at a time when such advances are urgently and increasingly needed.”

Although the new law represents a significant milestone, it is not the end of the process. For gene-editing to deliver, Prof Cacccamo said secondary legislation in the coming months must not go above and beyond rules currently applied to conventionally bred plant varieties.

World leader

The government said the new law would helping to make England a world-leader in agri-food innovation. Defra minister Mark Spencer said a new regulatory system would now facilitate greater research and innovation in precision breeding.

“The Genetic Technology Act is fantastic news for British consumers and farmers. Precision breeding technologies are the future of food production not just at home but around the world – and this [law] will put our nation at the forefront of this revolution.”

Some 40% of crops globally are lost every year to floods, pests and other events.

Defra chief scientist Gideon Henderson suggested the new law would help support resilient UK food production for decades to come.

“This is an important time for agricultural science,” he said.

“The ability to use gene editing to make precise, targeted changes to the genetic code of organisms, in a way that can mimic traditional breeding, enables development of new crop varieties that are more resistant to pests, healthier to eat, and more resilient to drought and heat.