NFU East Anglia "encouraged" by Government's plans for gene-edited crops
Rules around manipulating DNA have been relaxed after Brexit
Last updated 30th Sep 2021
The National Farmers Union say they are "encouraged" by Government plans to make researching and developing "gene edited" crops, easier.
Rules around manipulating DNA have been relaxed after Brexit.
Ministers say this process will create healthier plants. While also reducing the need for chemical pesticides.
Jack Richards from NFU East Anglia told us its a great way to get crops ready for more extreme and volatile weather in the future.
"In the UK we are facing climatic challenges. We are likely to face more flooding, prolonged droughts and disease pressure".
"By having gene-editing to speed up traditional breeding techniques, it give us a chance to get our plants and crops ready for the challenges ahead".
He also told us that it can help stock supermarket shelves with more nutritious food than before.
"Through this you might be able to reduce the amount of gluten in wheat, there may be ways to increase the nutrient value of certain crops".
"So effectively you'll be getting better nutrition per unit of calories. That means a higher nutrient content for eating less of a crop".
But regardless of the opportunities, Mr Richards warned that this new technique didn't offer a "sliver bullet" to all issues.
"We can tweak things here and there, to make one crop more resilient to flooding and another to droughts".
"It's not going to be a one size fits all approach. Ultimately variation in our crop variety, will also help to spread the risk".
Mr Richards concluded by saying that 'gene-edited' food are all completely safe for people to consume.
"The scientific advise is that gene-edited food won't pose any greater risk to human health, compared to traditionally grown crops".
"So we are confident that they are perfectly safe to use and of course, all food stuff are reviewed by the Food Standards Authority, to make sure they are safe".