Genetic Technology Bill to be published this week
With global food supply chain issues and inflation worsening, the government is bringing forward legislation designed to improve domestic food security
The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill white paper is to be brought forward by the government and published this week, the CLA understands.
Largely due to Russian blockades further exacerbating current global supply chain problems, this move is thought to be designed to help to alleviate food security and price inflation concerns, as Britain is heavily reliant on foreign imports.
Commenting on the announcement, CLA President, Mark Tufnell, said: “Bringing forward the publication of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech should be welcomed by farmers and environmentalists alike. The fragility of global and domestic food security has been exposed by recent events and it is essential that we can have a full range of tools for the future.
These measures will play a crucial part in helping to manage our food security and strengthen our domestic supply chains
Mark continued: “Now more than ever, we need to focus on new technology that can deliver benefits for climate and the environment alongside crop and livestock production. These measures will play a crucial part in helping to manage our food security and strengthen our domestic supply chains. The potential benefits are high, and the risks are no different from conventional breeding.”