FAILURE to diverge from EU rules around farming, plant genetics and new breeding techniques after Brexit will represent a missed opportunity for the UK, according to a new report commissioned by the Agricultural Biotechnology Council.

The report concludes that maintaining regulatory alignment with the EU, and in particular its go-slow on novel plant breeding techniques, risks trading difficulties and cost burdens for UK farmers.

To date, EU rules have meant that no commercial GM crops are planted here, despite the UK being a sizeable importer of GM soybeans. As an example of a missed opportunity, the report's authors cite the blight resistant potato developed at the Sainsbury Laboratory, offering benefits including higher yields, lower production costs, reduced health risks and environmental gains, that is now being used in the US, but not in the UK.

"Brussels’ rules have seen expenditure and employment in the plant science sector fall radically in the last 20 years, going from up to £50m annual R and D spending in the late 1990s to about £1.25m today," said the ABC.

"While improved implementation – the option Michael Gove has given broad backing to – avoids the worst possible outcome, for the best outcome ABC is calling for the UK to sets its own path and take back control of regulations governing farming and GM crops post-Brexit."

According to ABC, these benefits would include:

  • Reduced uncertainty for traders and users of imported commodities, providing greater flexibility and a wider choice of feed ingredients and reducing costs of raw materials to the livestock production sector;
  • A more favourable environment for the commercialisation of GM crop technology, with regulation based purely on scientific risk assessment, in keeping with international norms;
  • Increased investment in R and D of GM crops for growing in the UK from private companies, together with increased interest in collaboration with the UK public research community;
  • Improved agronomic performance, reduced cost of new seed and higher quality products such as altered grains and oilseeds, thanks to the potential for commercial development of new crop traits.

Defra's recently published draft Agriculture Bill sets out plans for payments incentivising farmers to invest in new technologies – ABC is calling on the Government to use Brexit to support regulatory divergence, so the UK can "take advantage of ground-breaking technologies that have previously been blocked by political intervention in Brussels".

"Gene editing and GM technology in the UK post Brexit could help UK farming flourish, whilst maintaining the highest levels of consumer safety and environmental protections," insisted ABC.