A bill is to be introduced in Parliament in two days' time to allow the commercial growing of gene-edited crops in England.
Gene-edited tomatoes that boost vitamin D are among the foods that could be commercially developed
Gene editing is a relatively recent technology. It involves switching genes on and off by snipping out a small section of the plant's DNA. The older technique of genetic modification involves putting genes in, sometimes from a completely different species.Both methods are used in other countries, to produce food. But the EU set stringent regulations on GM crops 25 years ago because of safety concerns and public opposition to the technology.
The Environment Secretary George Eustice told BBC News that the change in the law was necessary to combat the impact of climate change. "With the varieties we see in England, it generally takes us 12 years to produce those new ones. With gene-editing, we can respond to changing farmers' much faster." Critics of the technology, such as Liz O'Neill, who is the director of the campaign group, GM Freeze, says that the government is being too hasty in lifting restrictions for gene-edited crops.Protestors trampling a GM crop trial in 1988 over safety concerns about the technology.
Ms O'Neill also wonders how the relaxation of regulations, which apply to England only, won't happen in other parts of the UK, which will make their own decisions about the use of the technology.
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