Parliament to debate precision breeding as legislation progresses
Legislation to support new technologies to boost crop performance and increase food production is set to be debated in Parliament today (31 October), as the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill gets its Third Reading.
The Bill aims to introduce a more proportionate and science-based regulatory system for precision-bred plants and animals in the UK.
It seeks to enable opportunities to develop crops with greater resistence to disease and the effects of climate change, such as drought and flooding.
Robert Sheasby, AIC chief executive, said: "We support the Government's strategic approach to differentiate between precision breeding and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), and more specifically to look at the possible benefits across a number of sectors, delivering a variety of beneficial outcomes.
"With increasing challenges facing agriculture and environment, AIC is clear that more efficient breeding technologies could help address them.
"We should by no means consider precision breeding applications as the only answer to challenges in our climate and food systems, however should not overlook the possible opportunities that could be achieved across a variety of sectors.
"AIC will continue to work with Government as this Bill progresses, helping to make sure it delivers for the agri-food industry and the environment at this critical time."
In the summer Ed Barker, AIC's Head of Policy, gave verbal evidence to the MP panel which makes up the Bill’s Committee, providing insight on how the Bill’s provisions could possibly benefit UK agriculture, while at the same time outlining the challenges to be resolved.
Food production and the environment
Introduced in June this year, the Bill covers precision-bred plants and animals developed through techniques such as gene editing, where the genetic changes could have occurred naturally or through traditional breeding methods.
This is different to genetic modification (GM), which produces organisms containing additional genes.
Defra Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “We are already seeing how new genetic technologies can increase yields, make our food more nutritious and result in crops that are more resistant to disease and weather extremes.
“British scientists are leading the world in precision breeding and this Bill will put Britain at the forefront of agri-research and innovation – opening the door for more investment and continuing our work to provide farmers with the tools they need to innovate and use new, smart technologies.”
The Bill is due to get its Third Reading at 4.30pm today (31 October), and is expected to be introduced in the House of Lords tomorrow (1 November).
Watch the House of Commons debate on the UK Parliament website.
Author
Oli Hill
As Head of Communications, Oli creates and oversees the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media. A qualified multimedia journalist, he previously spent six years working at Farmers Weekly magazine as a Senior Reporter on the arable team, and latterly as Community Editor. More recently he was Communications Manager at Red Tractor.
