The UK parliament has passed new laws that remove legislative barriers to gene editing in plants. They will make it easier to create new crop varieties similar to those which could have been achieved through traditional selective breeding.
This legislative shift will facilitate gene-edited crop trials in England. Many hope that the rule change will allow scientists to develop crops that are resistant to common diseases such as Virus Yellows in sugar beet and mildew in tomatoes.
Parliament’s approval of relaxed gene-editing laws built on the September 2021 Government response to a consultation process. Minister for Agri-Innovation and Climate Adaptation Jo Churchill said, “New genetic technologies could help us tackle some of the biggest challenges of our age – around food security, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Now we have the freedom and opportunity to foster innovation, to improve the environment, and help us grow plants that are stronger and more resilient to climate change. I am grateful to the farming and environmental groups that have helped us shape our approach, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve.”
The UK government has claimed that Brexit has allowed for this new legislative flexibility on gene editing. However, the new laws will apply not apply to Scotland. Here, legislation continues to align with EU law by placing strict controls on both GMOs and gene editing.
Gene editing often uses CRISPR technology to edit an organism’s DNA. Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Gideon Henderson, said: “Gene editing is a powerful tool that will help us make plant breeding more efficient and precise by mimicking natural processes that currently take many years to complete. With the new rules now formally in place, scientists will be able to assess new crops in real-world conditions more easily. This will increase our ability to harness the potential of gene editing to efficiently help grow plants that are more nutritious, beneficial to the environment, more resilient to climate change, and resistant to disease and pests.”
For now, UK law will continue to classify gene-edited plants as genetically modified organisms. Any commercial cultivation of gene-edited plants will still be subject to existing rules on GM crops. Further, scientists that use gene-editing technologies will still have to notify the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs of any research trials. There are plans to make further legislative changes so that gene-edited food can be commercially grown and sold.
