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Rothamsted welcomes latest advance of UK Precision Breeding Legislation
Final parliamentary stretch now in progress
27 February, 2025
Legislation which allows for the implementation of the 2023 Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act was laid in Parliament on Tuesday. If passed, as is likely, the act will come into force in Autumn 2025.
Speaking at the NFU conference on Tuesday, Defra secretary Steve Reed said he was delighted that the act was now progressing through its final legislative stages.
“Innovation and technology will help farmers produce more food more sustainably and more profitably. This [Act] offers huge potential to transform the plant breeding sector in England by enabling innovative products to be commercialised in years instead of in decades, and we are reinstating the Precision Breeding Industry Working Group so the whole food supply chain can 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.
The 2023 Act covers only plants. Measures for animals will be introduced after Defra has developed the details of a regulatory process for safeguarding precision-bred animal health and welfare.
Welcoming the legislative progress, Rothamsted’s Prof Johnathan Napier said, “This Act will make life much easier for creators and developers working with precision bred - specifically gene edited - crops.
“It is very encouraging that the potential of precision bred crops to deliver enhanced nutrition and more sustainable agriculture is recognised by Government and the appropriate modifications are made to the new Act. Rothamsted is at the forefront of efforts to use gene editing to deliver a greener economy and this new legislation will allow innovations such as low acrylamide wheat enter the market more quickly and with less regulatory burden."
The move has also been welcomed across a range a UK scientific institutions and universities as a significant step forward for UK research and development in this crucial new technology.
Contacts
Prof. Johnathan Napier
Omega-3 Camelina Development
ABOUT ROTHAMSTED RESEARCH
Rothamsted Research is the longest-running agricultural research institute in the world. We work from gene to field with a proud history of ground-breaking
discoveries in areas as diverse as crop management, statistical interpretation and soil health. Our founders, in 1843, were the pioneers of modern
agriculture, and we are known for our imaginative science and our collaborative approach to developing innovative farm practice.
Through independent research, we make significant contributions to improving agri-food systems in the UK and internationally, with
economic impact estimated to exceed £3 bn in annual contribution to the UK economy. Our strength lies in our systems approach, which combines strategic research,
interdisciplinary teams and multiple partnerships.
Rothamsted is home to three unique National Bioscience Research Infrastructures which are open to researchers from all over the world:
The Long-Term Experiments,
Rothamsted Insect Survey and the
North Wyke Farm Platform.
We are strategically funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with additional support from other national and
international funding streams, and from industry. We are also supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust (LAT).
ABOUT BBSRC
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid
from the UK government.
BBSRC invests to push back the frontiers of biology and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future. Through our investments, we build and support a vibrant,
dynamic and inclusive community which delivers ground-breaking discoveries and develops bio-based solutions that contribute to tackling global challenges,
such as sustainable food production, climate change, and healthy ageing.
As part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), we not only play a pivotal role in fostering connections that enable the UK’s world-class research and innovation system
to flourish – we also have a responsibility to enable the creation of a research culture that is diverse, resilient, and engaged.
BBSRC proudly forges interdisciplinary collaborations where excellent bioscience has a fundamental role. We pioneer approaches that enhance the equality, diversity,
and inclusion of talent by investing in people, infrastructure, technologies, and partnerships on a global scale.
ABOUT LAT
The Lawes Agricultural Trust, established in 1889 by Sir John Bennet Lawes, supports Rothamsted Research’s national and international agricultural science through the provision of land, facilities and funding. LAT, a charitable trust, owns the estates at Harpenden and Broom's Barn, including many of the buildings used by Rothamsted Research. LAT provides an annual research grant to the Director, accommodation for nearly 200 people, and support for fellowships for young scientists from developing countries. LAT also makes capital grants to help modernise facilities at Rothamsted, or invests in new buildings.