Legislation in the form of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, which aims to cut red tape and support the development of innovative tech to grow more resistant, more nutritious, and more productive crops will be introduced in Parliament today (Wednesday, May 25).
The government said that the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill will remove unnecessary barriers to research into new gene-editing technology.
Precision breeding technologies, like gene editing, have a range of benefits according to the government.
A spokesperson said:
“They will give UK scientists the power to help farmers and producers develop plant varieties and animals with beneficial traits that could also occur through traditional breeding and natural processes, but in a more efficient and precise way.
“For example, precision breeding techniques can produce crops with fewer inputs, including pesticides and fertilisers, improving the sustainability, resilience and productivity of the UK’s food system.
“This will reduce costs to farmers and reduce impacts on the environment, as well as potentially increasing disease resistance in plants and animals, and boosting climate change resilience; with water scarcity likely to become a major impact of climate change, it is essential that plant breeding technology is able to keep pace with the challenge,” they continued.
“Precision breeding can also create safer food by removing allergens and preventing the formation of harmful compounds in food.
“Globally, between 20% and 40% of all crops grown are lost to pests and diseases.
“Precision breeding has the potential to create plant varieties and animals that have improved resistance to diseases; helping to reduce our reliance on pesticides and antibiotics, reduce impacts on the environment and improve the welfare of animals.”
Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said:
“Outside the EU we are free to follow the science. These precision technologies allow us to speed up the breeding of plants that have natural resistance to diseases and better use of soil nutrients so we can have higher yields with fewer pesticides and fertilisers.
“The UK has some incredible academic centres of excellence and they are poised to lead the way.”
