Following the Committee Stage debate of the Agriculture Bill in the House of Lords, Defra minister Lord Gardiner announced that the government will launch a public consultation this autumn on the question raised in amendment 275 on gene editing techniques.

The consultation, which will look at post-Brexit regulation of precision breeding techniques, has been welcomed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Science and Technology in Agriculture.

NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw said:

“This is a very positive step. Having robust fit-for-purpose regulation on new breeding techniques is an opportunity to position British farming as a world leader and to showcase sustainable, climate-friendly farming.”

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