UK to loosen rules on gene-editing crops

[MCook]

With the news that the UK is set to loosen rules on gene-editing crops, I am keen to hear whether people see this as an opportunity or a threat to UK farming and general food production?

I don't know a huge amount this topic, in fact I only learnt this morning about how much soybean used for animal feed is already GM.

Surely this will have to lead for an improvement in food labelling and traceability?

 

[Adeptandy]

With the news that the UK is set to loosen rules on gene-editing crops, I am keen to hear whether people see this as an opportunity or a threat to UK farming and general food production?

I don't know a huge amount this topic, in fact I only learnt this morning about how much soybean used for animal feed is already GM.

Surely this will have to lead for an improvement in food labelling and traceability?

It probably will, but the majority only read the label with the price on, its the small percentage that read the label, then read FB or Twitter and shout about it.

 

[MCook]

It probably will, but the majority only read the label with the price on, its the small percentage that read the label, then read FB or Twitter and shout about it.

Very true. Sadly I imagine most have little regard for where something is produced, as long as it is cheapest then it will go in the trolley.

 

[neilo]

With the news that the UK is set to loosen rules on gene-editing crops, I am keen to hear whether people see this as an opportunity or a threat to UK farming and general food production?

I don't know a huge amount this topic, in fact I only learnt this morning about how much soybean used for animal feed is already GM.

Surely this will have to lead for an improvement in food labelling and traceability?

Gene editing is a very different technology to GM. GE doesn’t involve adding DNA from another species, whereas GM does/can.

GE doesn’t do anything that isn’t already possible with conventional selective breeding, it just doesn’t faster and more efficiently, without the wastage.

Whether it is a threat or a fantastic opportunity will depend entirely on how it’s utilised.

 

[MCook]

Gene editing is a very different technology to GM. GE doesn’t involve adding DNA from another species, whereas GM does/can.

GE doesn’t do anything that isn’t already possible with conventional selective breeding, it just doesn’t faster and more efficiently, without the wastage.

Whether it is a threat or a fantastic opportunity will depend entirely on how it’s utilised.

Thanks for that @neilo

Why are current rules so tight in the UK/EU on gene editing, just to prevent a free-for-all?