25 May 2022
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Crops with fewer inputs can improve UK food system, says government
THE government has announced that legislation to cut red tape around genetic engineering in crops will launch in parliament today (May 25th) via the new Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill.
The government has said that the Bill will remove unnecessary barriers to research into new gene-editing technology, while precision breeding techniques can produce crops with fewer inputs, including pesticides and fertilisers, improving the sustainability, resilience and productivity of the UK’s food system.
Environment Secretary George Eustice has been quoted as saying: "These precision technologies allow us to speed up the breeding of plants that have natural resistance to diseases and better use of soil nutrients so we can have higher yields with fewer pesticides and fertilisers. The UK has some incredible academic centres of excellence and they are poised to lead the way."
But the Soil Association has said it is 'deeply disappointed', claiming the government is prioritising "unpopular technologies" rather than focusing on "the real issues" such as lack of crop diversity and a steep decline in beneficial insects that eat pests.
Soil Association Policy Director Jo Lewis said: “To prioritise a genetic engineering de-regulation Bill over the Food Bill called for by the National Food Strategy smacks of a government casting about for silver bullets. It avoids dealing head-on with the transformation needed in our food and farming system for true security and resilience. As highlighted by the National Food Strategy and the new report by Chatham House, agroecological farming and a shift to healthy and sustainable diets is the most evidence-based solution for climate, nature and health. Government’s response to that recommendation is long overdue.
She added: "We should be investing in solutions that deal with the cause of disease and pests in the first place. History has proven that GM only benefits a minority of big businesses with a major rise in controlling crop patents and unwelcome, profitable traits such as herbicide-resistant weeds."