Regulation of genetic technologies in food and farming

That this House notes with concern the proposed removal of risk assessment and traceability safeguards from new gene editing techniques in England, as set out in the DEFRA Consultation on the Regulation of Genetic Technologies which closes on 17 March 2021; further notes concerns that the vigorous promotion of gene editing is out of step with the complexity of the science, the needs of farmers, the UK’s potential as a world leader in agroecological innovation, the wishes of consumers, and the Government’s own environmental and farm animal welfare ambitions; further notes concerns that, like the vast majority of GM crops grown around the world, the first gene edited crop to be commercially cultivated is engineered to withstand repeated application of particular weed killers in industrial farming systems that harm biodiversity, encourage the development of herbicide-tolerant super weeds and increase farmers’ dependency on high cost inputs; further notes concerns that the current consultation falls short of a robust attempt to understand public and stakeholder views on the use of genetic engineering in food and farming, which would require a well-resourced and in-depth UK-wide initiative similar to the 2003 GM Nation public debate; and calls on the Government to establish effective regulation of all forms of genetic engineering that encompasses transparent assessments of the scientific, social, ethical and economic impacts of each proposed release, and upholds the right of farmers, consumers and devolved nations to choose, including through full traceability and clear labelling across the food chain.