We are pleased that the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act has passed into law, receiving Royal Assent from the King. This Act will enable the development and marketing of gene edited crops in England and is a major step towards modernising our crop breeding.

Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser Gideon Henderson said:

This is an important time for agricultural science. The ability to use gene editing to make precise, targeted changes to the genetic code of organisms, in a way that can mimic traditional breeding, enables development of new crop varieties that are more resistant to pests, healthier to eat, and more resilient to drought and heat as climate changes.

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The John Innes Centre, and partners on the Norwich Research Park look forward to continuing to work with Defra and the Food Standards Agency to ensure a robust, evidence-led framework is put in place to regulate novel food and feed in England.

England joins countries such as Argentina, the US, Australia and Japan that have already enacted similar legislation to regulate precision bred plants.

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