Legislation which allows precision plant breeding passed its final hurdle in Parliament on Tuesday 25 February, paving the way for a wider uptake of gene editing techniques.

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 covers only plants, while measures for animals will be introduced after Defra has developed the details of a regulatory process for safeguarding precision-bred animal health and welfare.

See also: Defra urged to push ahead with gene editing for livestock

Supporters say the development, allowing the editing of existing plant genetic material, will benefit crop yields, reduce labour requirements, improve disease resistance and mean less land will be needed to grow crops.

Opponents of the Act say it will leave consumers uninformed and other farming and food businesses in the UK exposed to unforeseen risks.

Speaking at the NFU conference on Tuesday (25 February), Defra secretary Steve Reed said he was delighted to announce that the legislation to implement the Precision Breeding Act for plants in England had been laid in Parliament.  

“This offers huge potential to transform the plant breeding sector in England by enabling innovative products to be commercialised in years instead of in decades,” he said.

He also announced the reinstatement of the Precision Breeding Industry Working Group, which he said would allow the whole food supply chain to work together “to bring new food and feed products to market faster”.

The Precision Breeding Working Group aims to facilitate routes to market for precision-bred plant products and will facilitate discussions between representatives across the food sector.

Prof Mario Caccamo, chief executive at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, welcomed the development, which he says marks 30 years since legislation like this has been brought forward.

“There are exciting opportunities ahead to democratise the process of crop research and innovation, and to deliver benefits for the food chain, consumers and the environment,” he said.

“With the Precision Breeding Act in place and in force, let’s seize them with both hands.”

Opponents of the new Act, however, say it raises concerns about consumer choice, food safety and agricultural independence.

Pat Thomas, director of the campaign group Beyond GM, said the Act was a “shoddy piece of legislation that is a fundamental breach of public trust in the UK farming and food system and a significant step backwards for consumer rights”.