News

Food Standards Agency on PBOs: ‘We’re Not Listening’

8th March 2024

The Food Standards Agency has published the report on its public consultation on the marketing of genetically modified precision bred foods (PBOs) in England. It asked for citizen views – and then ignored them.

EU Votes to Deregulate Gene Editing

7th February 2024

A lengthy vote in the European Parliament today has resulted in significant deregulation of gene edited organisms under new European legislation. But how favourably or unfavourably do the new rules compare to what’s going on in the UK?

Detection of new GMOs – Possible and Necessary for Transparency and Public Trust

13th January 2024

Detection of gene edited organisms is possible and detection methods must be demanded from the developer as a condition of approval of gene edited food and feed. Read the new joint briefing from Beyond GM and GMWatch.

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

21st November 2023

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consultation process on genetically modified precision bred organisms (PBOs) and calling for the consultation to be withdrawn.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

25th October 2023

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

14th September 2023

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.

Genetic Technology Bill Becomes Law

24th March 2023

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.

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

25th January 2023

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.

Everyone is NOT deregulating GMOs

23rd November 2022

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

18th November 2022

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