A campaign invites farmers and others across the farming industry to engage in a nationwide discussion on precision-bred crops and their potential impact on farming.

As the government moves forward with legislation to support precision breeding, the #ProbityPledge campaign will provide farmers with accurate information and a platform to voice their opinions.

Precision-bred crops can be created through gene editing, a widely used technology that enables scientists to make changes to plant DNA, like those that occur naturally but introduced in a targeted manner.

Gene editing speeds up the process of breeding more productive crop varieties.

See also: Why gene editing could help growers practising regen ag

The campaign is being co-ordinated by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (Bofin) which leads the probity project.

The three-year multi-partner project launched last summer is bringing precision-bred cereals onto commercial farms for the first time across Europe.

An integral part of the project is to creation of an open and transparent forum to discuss the creation, production processing and use of precision-bred crops.

Tom Allen-Stevens, Oxfordshire farmer and founder of Bofin said: “This is a topic which will have an enormous impact on sustainable food and farming, so it’s important to make time to discuss it.

“As farmers we are the gatekeepers of precision breeding technology and must lead the discussion introduced to create a trusted pathway for food manufacturers to deliver its potential benefits to consumers.”

The pledge asks farmers to commit at least one hour to equip themselves with knowledge of the technology and how it could impact them and their businesses.

“We want to hear diverse views – what do you think, what are your hopes and fears for precision breeding and what questions do you have about gene editing?”

Tom added: “Our sequence circle community hosted on The Farming Forum includes some incredible scientists who are well placed to help answer those questions.”

For more information on the #ProbityPledge campaign and to get involved, visit bofin.org.uk/probitypledge