Articles

Guidance on the FSA Consultation on Precision Breeding

From Articles

We have had many requests for help in filling in the Food Standards Agency (FSA) consultation on the deregulation of genetically modified precision-bred organisms (GMO/PBOs) in UK food and feed. Here’s some basic guidance on the consultation to help you choose a way to respond that suits you.

Food and Farming Business Experts: Food Standards Agency Consultation on Precision-Bred Organisms is “Misleading” and “Flawed”

From News

A group of experts representing business, farming, certification, academia, science and civil society have lodged a formal complaint against the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), raising serious concerns about its public consultation process on genetically modified precision bred organisms (PBOs) and calling for the consultation to be withdrawn.

Genetic Technologies in Food and Farming – A Manifesto for the Next Government

From News

Genetically engineered organisms in agriculture are, first and foremost, a food system and environmental issue. In recent years the UK government has sought to recontextualise them as a science and innovation issue divorced from their real world uses and consequences. Our 2024 manifesto calls for GMOs to be put back in their rightful context and for this to be the basis for rational policy and regulation of agricultural genetic technologies.

European Commission Under Fire for GMO Deregulation Proposals

From News

Experts and advocates across the spectrum of science, policymaking, consumers, civil society and ethics – including Beyond GM – gathered recently at a conference at the European Parliament to to examine the impacts of the European Commission’s proposals to deregulate what it calls New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) aka new GMOs. Their analysis was devastating.

UK’s Agroecological Farmers Wary of Genetic Technologies

From Articles

Preliminary findings from the Agroecological Intelligence project by A Bigger Conversation have found that UK agroecological farmers are wary of genetic technologies in agriculture. Here’s what the farmers have to say.

Genetic Technology Bill Becomes Law

From News

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill became law late yesterday afternoon. This means it will now be legal to grow and sell gene edited foods in England without labels or environmental or food safety assessments. Here’s some thoughts and early impressions.

Gene edited foods in our shops soon? Reality vs hype

From Articles

The UK government says gene editing will fill our shops with better food. The reality is more empty promises and more empty shelves. Although several gene-edited crops and a few animals have been approved for commercialisation over the last decade, particularly in the US and Japan, few have made it to market and most have been abandoned.

Defra Secretary of State Warned: Take Wild Animals and Pets Out of the Gene Editing Bill

From News

Beyond GM, has written to Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to urge crucial amendments that will protect non-agricultural and wild plants and animals.

Hijacking GMO Legislation – An Open Response to Lord Benyon

From Articles

This week we have had an opportunity to review a leaked letter from Lord Benyon, the Defra Minister leading the Genetic Technology Bill through the Lords. Its aim was to convince those peers who have been working hard to amend the bill that they should have faith in the government’s good intentions. Here’s our response.

Everyone is NOT deregulating GMOs

From News

It is ironic that, in its increasingly desperate attempts to promote its widely criticised bill, the UK government is now pushing the false narrative that the EU will be following our lead in deregulating GMOs. Here’s why it’s not true.