The UK government has passed the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, a new legislation that aims to foster innovation and facilitate the use of precision breeding technologies to enhance food production. The Act enables the development of new crop varieties that are more resistant to pests and diseases and healthier to eat, contributing to food security and resilience in the face of climate change. Precision breeding involves using gene editing to adapt the genetic code of organisms, creating beneficial traits in crops that typically would take decades to achieve through traditional breeding. Under the provisions of the Act, a new science-based and streamlined regulatory system will be implemented to facilitate greater research and innovation in precision breeding. Additionally, a proportionate regulatory system for precision-bred animals will be established to ensure animal welfare is safeguarded. The legislation takes a step-by-step approach, allowing the use of precision breeding technologies with plants first, followed by animals later.
Gene-Edited Food Development Now Legal in England: New Legislation Aimed to Enhance Food Security and Reduce Pesticide Use
England has recently passed the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, a new legislation that legalizes gene-edited food development in the country. The law aims to improve food security and resilience, reduce pesticide use, and facilitate innovation in new technologies, thus positioning England as a world-leader in agri-food innovation.
The Act permits farmers to cultivate crops that are drought and disease-resistant, reduces the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and facilitates breeding of animals that are less likely to catch harmful diseases. By utilizing gene editing and other precision breeding technologies, scientists can adapt the genetic code of organisms, creating beneficial traits in crops that typically would take decades to achieve through traditional breeding. The result is safe and plentiful foods that are more flexible and adaptable for years to come.
Under the provisions of the Act, a new science-based and streamlined regulatory system will be implemented to facilitate greater research and innovation in precision breeding, while maintaining strict regulations for genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Food Minister Mark Spencer noted that this is fantastic news for British consumers and farmers. Precision Breeding technologies are the future of food production, not just in the UK, but around the world. Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser Gideon Henderson emphasized that this is an important time for agricultural science. The ability to use gene editing to make precise, targeted changes to the genetic code of organisms will enable the development of new crop varieties that are more resistant to pests, healthier to eat, and more resilient to drought and heat as climate changes.
This new law unlocks the potential of the agri-biotech industry to support resilient food production for decades to come. The Act covers precision-bred plants and animals developed through techniques such as gene editing, which differs from genetic modification (GM). GM produces crops with genetic changes that could not have occurred naturally or through traditional breeding.
According to the UK Government, this legislation is a major step in unlocking growth and innovation in new technologies, reinforcing food security in the face of climate change, and ensuring England becomes a world-leader in agri-food innovation. With approximately 40% of crops globally lost every year to floods, pests, and other external events, the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act will enable the agri-food industry to support resilient food production for decades to come.
UK Government Passes Legislation to Facilitate Precision Breeding and Innovation
The UK government has passed the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, a new legislation that aims to foster innovation and facilitate the use of precision breeding technologies to enhance food production. The Act ensures that before any changes to market, the Food Standards Agency will consult on new food and feed legislation and produce a proportionate risk assessment for precision-bred food and feed.
England has joined countries such as Argentina, the US, Australia, and Japan that have already enacted similar legislation, driving innovation on a global scale and helping fight the greatest challenges facing the world.
While recognizing the potential for increasing innovation, the government also acknowledges the need to safeguard animal welfare in the new regulatory framework. Therefore, the legislation takes a step-by-step approach, allowing the use of precision breeding technologies with plants first, followed by animals later.
The Act provides several powers, including the removal of plants and animals produced through precision breeding technologies from regulatory requirements applicable in England to the environmental release and marketing of GMOs. Additionally, two notification systems will be introduced, one for precision-bred organisms used for research purposes and the other for marketing purposes. The information collected will be published on a public register on GOV.UK.
Furthermore, a proportionate regulatory system for precision-bred animals will be established to ensure animal welfare is safeguarded. The regulations for animals will not be changed until this system is in place. Finally, a new science-based authorisation process will be introduced for food and feed products derived from using precision-bred plants and animals.
The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act is a major step towards enhancing food production and reducing reliance on harmful chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers. By allowing for the use of precision breeding technologies, the Act will enable the development of new crop varieties that are more resistant to pests and diseases and healthier to eat, contributing to food security and resilience in the face of climate change.
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