Time to act on precision breeding to drive innovation and growth

In an open letter addressed to ministers in the Departments for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), more than 50 leading organisations and individuals across the scientific, food processing, farming, breeding, veterinary and input supply sectors have welcomed the signing into law of the Precision Breeding Act in March 2023 as a significant milestone for sustainable innovation in food and agriculture but note that until detailed implementing rules are introduced at Westminster, this legislation serves no functional purpose.

The letter signals that the objectives of the Precision Breeding Act directly complement the new government’s strategic commitments to scientific rigour, economic growth and better regulation, and emphasises that researchers, innovators and prospective investors, as well as the farmers who need access to such innovation, are seeking a clear, early signal from ministers that the new government will implement the legislation without delay.

Similar letters were addressed to Defra Secretary, Rt Hon Steve Reed MP; DSIT Secretary, Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP; and minister for science, research and innovation, Lord Vallance.

In his response, Mr Zeichner thanked all the signatories of the letter for their support for the precision breeding policy and highlighted the importance of food security as one of Defra’s five strategic priorities. He emphasised that “innovation is key in supporting our efforts to strengthen food security, enhance resilience and improve agricultural sustainability.”    

“We are now considering how to take forward the regulatory framework outlined in the Act and will share our plans with key interested parties soon,” he continued.

Professor Tina Barsby, a plant scientist and one of the lead signatories of the open letter, described the minister’s response as an encouraging signal that the new government recognises the importance of these new technologies, but she reiterated the early need for clarity on the government’s plans among researchers, innovators and prospective investors in the UK.     

“Around the world, countries are moving rapidly to adopt more science-based regulations for gene editing technologies," said Barsby. "Thailand recently joined Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Argentina and the USA in adopting regulations which treat precision-bred products more like conventional products. New Zealand, which has historically taken a more cautious regulatory approach to genetic technologies, announced last month that it will also introduce new legislation to free up gene editing technologies. With our world-leading science base in genetic research, we cannot afford to be left behind in enabling British science to fulfil its promise of fighting climate change, contributing to food security and delivering nature recovery".

The full letter to Mr Zeichner and its signatories are below.

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To: Daniel Zeichner MP, Minister of State, Defra

26 July 2024

Dear Minister

On behalf of the many organisations and individuals across the scientific, food processing, farming, breeding, veterinary and input supply sectors listed in support of this letter, we would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Minister of State at Defra in the new UK Government.

We are also writing to urge you to act quickly and decisively in bringing forward the secondary legislation needed to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, which, as you know, has been scrutinised and approved by both Houses of Parliament, and whose objectives directly complement your Government’s strategic commitments to scientific rigour, economic growth and better regulation.

The Precision Breeding Act represents a significant milestone for sustainable innovation in food and agriculture, the first time in more than three decades that new regulations have sought to enable, rather than restrict, the safe use of modern biotechnology in plant and animal breeding, and which will bring our rules more into line with other countries such as Canada, Brazil, USA, Japan and Australia.

The secondary legislation required to implement the Act has been drafted, and was notified to the World Trade Organisation in April this year. However, it has not yet been introduced at Westminster. Until that happens, the Act itself serves no functional purpose.

Researchers, innovators and prospective investors, as well as the farmers who need access to such innovation, are seeking a clear, early signal from Ministers that the new UK Government will implement the Precision Breeding Act without delay.

The scientific evidence is overwhelming that the products of these technologies pose no greater risks than their conventionally bred counterparts, and yet they can greatly accelerate the development of more climate resilient, higher-yielding crops requiring fewer pesticide and fertiliser inputs, and with improved quality and nutrition.

This is evident from the increase in precision breeding research stimulated by the introduction in March 2022 of new Qualifying Higher Plant (QHP) arrangements for experimental crop trials in England. This research activity covers both public and private sector applications which, without exception, are focused on using precision breeding techniques to make our farming and food production systems healthier, safer, and more sustainable.

Without the prospect of a clear route to market, however, investment in such research activity is unlikely to be sustained.

It is worth noting that a recent study listed the UK as third only behind China and the United States in terms of high-citation academic publications in the agricultural sciences. Expressed per head of population, or in relation to GDP, that means the UK leads the world in the agriculture-related research most likely to support innovation and deliver impact. But UK leadership in academic science is not translating into domestic agricultural productivity growth, in which Britain continues to lag behind most other developed agricultural economies. Nor has it positioned the UK as a major destination for private sector investment in agricultural innovation compared, for example, to our healthcare or medical life science sectors.

Unduly restrictive and over-precautionary regulation has undoubtedly been a factor in deterring such investment. Early implementation of the Precision Breeding Act is an opportunity to change that dynamic and to follow the science, building on the capabilities of our world-class agricultural research base and sending a clear signal that the UK is open for innovation.

Alongside the application of precision breeding techniques such as gene editing in crops, these techniques can also accelerate the delivery of health, welfare and productivity benefits in farmed animals, for example through the development of genetic resistance to previously intractable disease problems, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in pigs, avian influenza in poultry and bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) in cattle.

While recognising that the timetable for implementation of the Precision Breeding Act in relation to farmed animals will inevitably be behind that for plants, as requirements for an animal welfare declaration and the creation of a new welfare advisory body are established, recent global developments in relation to the spread of livestock disease highlight the need to act sooner rather than later. With a virulent strain of PRRS wiping out pig herds in Spain, African Swine Fever on the march north through Europe, and bird flu virus detected in both dairy cattle and their milk in the US, the importance of enabling all possible solutions, including precision breeding, cannot be over-stated.

Ensuring our scientists have access to the best available technologies and can conduct their research in a proportionate and enabling regulatory environment is absolutely critical to building greater food system resilience, and to boosting prospects for economic growth, inward investment and technology-based exports.

Around the world, investment decisions for agricultural gene editing are being made every month. The sooner the UK declares its interest in competing for this research and development, the sooner British science can begin to fulfil its promise of fighting climate change, contributing to food security and delivering nature recovery.

Early implementation of the Precision Breeding Act is a critical next step.

Yours sincerely

Professor Tina Barsby OBE, plant scientist

Professor Helen Sang OBE, livestock scientist

Signatories

Professor the Lord Trees, FRCVS, FMedSci, HonFRSE, House of Lords

The Rt Hon. The Baroness Hayman GBE, House of Lords

The Rt Hon. the Lord Taylor of Holbeach CBE, House of Lords

Lord Curry of Kirkharle, House of Lords

Lord Cameron of Dillington, House of Lords

Professor Mario Caccamo, CEO, NIAB

Professor Bruce Whitelaw FRSB, Director, The Roslin Institute

Professor Bryan Charleston MRCVS FRS, Director, The Pirbright Institute.

Rachel Hallos, Vice President, National Farmers Union (NFU)

George Weston, Chief Executive, Associated British Foods plc

Keith Packer, Managing Director, British Sugar plc

Robert Sheasby, Chief Executive, Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC)

Professor Jane Langdale CBE FRS FAA, Professor of Plant Development, University of Oxford

Professor Wendy Barclay CBE FRS FMedSci, Professor of Virology, Imperial College

Professor Sophien Kamoun FRS, The Sainsbury Laboratory and University of East Anglia

Professor Jonathan Jones FRS, Group Leader, The Sainsbury Laboratory

Professor Ian Graham FRS, Chair of Biochemical Genetics, University of York

Sir David Baulcombe FMedSci FRS, Regius Professor of Botany Emeritus, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge

Professor Nigel Halford, Rothamsted Research

Professor Neil Hall, Director, Earlham Institute

Professor Malcolm Bennett FRS, Chair of Plant Sciences, University of Nottingham

Professor Julian Hibberd, Head of the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge

Professor Lesley Torrance, Emeritus Professor Biology, University of St Andrews and Honorary Fellow, James Hutton Institute

Professor Johnathan Napier, Editor in Chief, Plant Biotechnology Journal

Professor VC Emery, President, University of Hertfordshire Global Academic Foundation, Chair of the Board of Directors, The Pirbright Institute.

Professor John Hammond FRSB, Director of Research, The Pirbright Institute.

Professor Kevin Sinclair, Head of Division of Animal Sciences, University of Nottingham

Professor Ramiro Alberio, Professor of Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham

Dr Penny Hundleby, FRSB, Senior Scientist, John Innes Centre

Dr Anthony Hopkins, Head of Policy, British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB)

Roger Vickers, CEO, Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO)

Lizzie Wilson, Chief Executive, National Pig Association

Richard Griffiths, Chief Executive, British Poultry Council

Dr Craig Lewis (chair) & Ana Granados Chapatte (director), European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders (EFFAB)

Dr Elena Rice, Chief Scientific Officer, Genus plc

Dave Bench, Chief Executive, CropLife UK

Robin Wood, Deputy Chairman, Elsoms Seeds Ltd

Nigel Moore, Head of Food Ingredients, KWS Group

Joel Johnson, Business Director, Agricultural Solutions, United Kingdom and Ireland, BASF plc

Nils Bauer, Head of UK, Ireland and Nordics, Bayer CropScience Ltd

Jon Williams, Chair, Agricultural Biotechnology Council

Dr Belinda Clarke OBE, Director, Agri-TechE

Graham Brookes, Agricultural Economist, PG Economics Ltd

Peter Button, plant breeding industry consultant and former Vice-Secretary General, UPOV

Roz Bird, Chief Executive Officer, Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP

Dr Julian Little FRSB, Public Affairs Lead, Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP

Paul Temple, Board Member, Global Farmer Network

Professor Ross Houston, Director, Genetics, and Innovation, Benchmark Genetics

Professor Bob Webb FRSE, Emeritus Professor, University of Nottingham

Professor Duncan Hannant, DSc FRSB FLS, Emeritus Professor of Applied Immunology, University of Nottingham

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Acknowledgement: This article is funded by Bayer who is a signatory of this open letter. Other signatories include 10 fellows of the Royal Society, seven heads of leading UK research institutes and many other academic and industry leaders. The letter was first published at SSA News - 24 | SSA (scienceforsustainableagriculture.com)

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