New precision breeding laws introduced to boost Britain’s food security
1st October 2024
New precision breeding technology to increase food production, reduce costs to farmers, and allow drought- and disease-resistant crops to be grown will be brought forward under new laws, the government has just announced.
Using technologies like gene editing on plants, precision breeding will enable the development of crops that are more nutritious, resistant to pests and disease, resilient to climate change and more beneficial to the environment, the government said.
The measures will also reduce the use of pesticides, saving the important pollinators that are so vital to our ecosystem and promoting nature recovery.
Additional benefits include boosting investment in the sector, supporting Britain’s food security, increasing food production and reducing costs for farmers.
At the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner announced that the government will pass secondary legislation required to unlock the benefits of the Precision Breeding Act as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Reinforcing food security
Precision bred products have already started to undergo research trials, including tomatoes with high levels of vitamin D and sugar beet that is less reliant on pesticides.
The legislation will enable these products to be rolled out across the country, reinforcing food security in the face of climate change, supporting our farmers and ensuring we become a world leader in agri-food innovation.
Defra said that currently only a few large multinationals can afford to navigate the complex authorisation process required to bring a new product to market.
New legislation will simplify this process, making things fairer for SMEs and boosting investment, the department added.
Plant breeding currently contributes £1 billion in additional value each year to the UK economy and boosts yields by more than 1% per annum.
However, to meet rising challenges in our food system and the environment, further innovation is needed, and precision breeding has the potential to add significant additional value.
The UK has a thriving science and research sector, and by creating an enabling regulatory environment, the government will support investment in precision breeding to ensure our leading scientists and breeders can continue to develop this exciting technology.
Protecting farmers from climate shocks
Farming minister Daniel Zeichner said: “This government recognises that food security is national security.
“That is why today we are introducing legislation to unlock precision breeding to boost Britain’s food security, support nature’s recovery and protect farmers from climate shocks.
“With these measures, our agriculture sector will be at the forefront of innovation across the world.”
The government said that it will go further to restore stability and confidence in the sector, introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth and strengthen food security alongside nature’s recovery.
A spokesperson for Defra added: “We will protect farmers from being undercut in trade deals, make the supply chain work more fairly, prevent shock rises in bills by switching on GB Energy, better protect them from flooding through a new Flood Resilience Taskforce and use the government’s own purchasing power to back British produce.
“We will optimise Environmental Land Management schemes, so they produce the right outcomes for all farmers – including those who have been too often ignored, such as small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms.”
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