Articles

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.

YouGov Poll: UK citizens demand robust regulation of GMOs

From News

A new nationwide poll shows a significant majority of adults living in the UK believe all GMOs should be traceable and labelled. The poll also shows citizens have little faith in government’s ability to regulate in a way that protects health, the environment and consumers’ right to choose

UK and EU supermarkets must support GMO regulation

From News

A coalition of 64 leaders from food, farming, religion, business, philanthropy and academia in the UK and in Europe have written to supermarkets with businesses in both the UK and EU, calling on them to support strong regulation of gene edited products and to protect consumer choice.