United Kingdom government commits to implementation of Precision Breeding Act - Move could lead to increased research and greater investment in new genetic technologies

Date:10-02-2024

The UK government will pass the secondary legislation required to unlock the benefits of the Precision Breeding Act as soon as parliamentary time allows. The decision was announced by Daniel Zeichner, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London this week.

The original Bill was made into law under the previous Conservative government last year following a three-month public consultation in 2021.

Several precision bred products have already started to undergo research trials, including Rothamsted’s gene edited (GE) low-acrylamide wheat.

Rothamsted’s GM pioneering scientist, Prof Johnathan Napier welcomed the announcement saying, ″This is great news. Our GE research here at Rothamsted is at the leading edge, but the regulatory pathway to market was unclear. Knowing that 2023 Act is now going to be fully enabled is a big step forward and one that I hugely welcome.″

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. 

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.
Defra has said 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.

Minister Daniel Zeichner said, ″This Government recognizes that food security is national security. That is why 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.″