The Politics of Precision Breeding

The development of plant precision breeding has the potential to improve public health, strengthen the UK’s food security, and improve environmental sustainability. It means farmers can grow crops that are more nutritious; pest and disease-resistant; climate-resilient; and environmentally beneficial.

The UK is set to become the first European country to allow this technology to be used to grow the food we eat, making it an attractive and interesting regulatory market for scientists, food producers and investors. The secondary legislation needed to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants in England completed its passage through both Houses of Parliament in May 2025. Full implementation of the regulations is expected in autumn 2025 meaning precision-bred food products could be on supermarket shelves in 2026.

This is a landmark moment for genetic innovation in agriculture, with the legislative framework designed to enable and encourage the use of new technologies. This will enable the UK to surge ahead of European counterparts, opening up global trade and investment opportunities by aligning the regulatory environment with other major economies such as the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and Japan.

However, many in the agricultural and scientific communities are concerned that negotiations with the EU on a new trade agreement could see the UK delay the implementation of precision breeding to align with the EU’s food standards. While a trading agreement with the EU will be welcomed by the sector, important questions remain about what is within the scope of the agreement and, where differences exist, if they are any exclusions. As negotiations in this area progress, businesses in the sector should be engaging with government to push for safeguards to be included in policy areas where the UK agriculture sector has moved forward to develop innovative and resilient solutions to food production challenges.

If you’d like to discuss this in more detail, including how GK Strategy can support you with government relations and communication, please contact Thea Southwell Reeves.

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