Zeichner commits to advance gene editing legislation, but gives no update on ADOPT
Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner has announced he will be advancing precision breeding legislation in England ‘as soon as parliamentary time allows’.
Speaking at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit (WATIS) in London on September 30, Mr Zeichner said that precision breeding technologies like gene editing could ‘transform the sector’ by making development of new varieties quicker, more efficient and precise.
But there was no news on ADOPT, a £40 million fund to support farmer-led R&D announced by his predecessor Mark Spencer at WATIS last year.
Mr Zeichner said that precision breeding “has the potential to be a key technology for growth, food security and sustainability.”
The limited opportunities to exploit these technologies commercially had prevented the industry from reaping the benefits, he added. “Globally, agriculture related gene editing startups have already raised over $2.7 billion since 2012.”
Of this, approximately 80% of capital investment had gone to US-based companies, compared to only 5% in Europe, he added.
“Now we’ve placed scientists and breeders in England at the forefront. This must be taken advantage of to foster innovation resilience in agriculture. That’s why it is critical to drive forward that legislation.
“Using technologies like precision breeding will enable development of crops that are more nutritious, resistant to pests and disease, resilient to climate change, and more beneficial to the environment.”
This could lead to significant reduction in use of pesticides and a positive impact on pollinators, as well as increasing food production and reducing costs for farmers, he said.
The British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) is leading PROBITY, a multi-partner project which is trialling precision-bred crops on commercial farms for the first time in Europe. BOFIN founder and project lead Tom Allen-Stevens welcomed the announcement and urged the minister to act swiftly.
He said: “When the Genetic Technology Act was passed last year, England became the only country in Europe where precision-bred crops can be grown on commercial farms. However, the secondary legislation which covers aspects such as food labelling has been left by the wayside meaning that we are currently in limbo.
“I welcome Mr Zeichner’s commitment to bringing this legislation forward, and hope he will do so with a matter of urgency.”
But he expressed concern over the delay on the roll-out of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and particularly ADOPT.
“Defra has now released details of how the fund will work. It looks really good and could significantly bolster on-farm productivity.
“It’s deeply concerning that the new government has not given the go-ahead for this valuable R&D funding. It would be all too easy to drop it altogether, blaming the previous government’s overspend.
“But to do so would be to cut off your nose to spite your face – it is the one area of agricultural funding that could stimulate the productivity growth we so desperately need for farming.”