Citizens’ Charter on Genetic Technologies Upholds Choice and Transparency

December 30, 2025 by Beyond GM

A new Citizens’ Charter for Transparency, Accountability and Choice in the Use of Genetic Technologies has been launched, setting out clear principles for how genetic engineering – including gene editing and so-called “precision breeding” – should be governed in the UK.

The Charter responds to recent changes in UK law that have dismantled long-standing safeguards for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These changes allow developers to self-certify the safety of genetically engineered crops, foods and environmental releases, while removing requirements for independent oversight, labelling and traceability.

Emerging from Beyond GM’s in-depth discussions with citizens, farmers, researchers and civil society organisations, the Charter argues that these reforms represent a fundamental shift away from precautionary, evidence-based regulation towards a light-touch system driven primarily by political and narrow commercial priorities. This approach undermines public trust, weakens accountability, and erodes rights – including consumers’ right to know what is in their food and farmers’ right to avoid contamination and economic harm.

While recognising that innovation can have a role to play in addressing climate, food and environmental challenges, the Charter insists that progress must be matched by transparency, independent oversight, ethical responsibility and meaningful public participation.

To this end it sets out six core principles covering transparency and accountability, independent science, democratic participation, support for non-GM and agroecological alternatives, ethical responsibility, and fairness in the distribution of benefits and risks.

Together, these principles define the minimum standards governments and regulators must meet to uphold their duty of care to people, animals and the environment and, as the Charter notes: “Until these principles are established, we do not accept the deregulation or introduction of genetic technologies in food, farming and the wider environment.”

A living document

The Citizens’ Charter will be formally introduced and discussed at the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) on 8th January, ahead of a wider public rollout in 2026. It offers a clear, values-based framework for ensuring that decisions about genetic technologies serve the public interest, not just private gain.

In line with Beyond GM’s founding principles it is built on the belief that decisions about transparency and choice in food and farming should not be limited to scientists, entrepreneurs and policymakers. They concern us all, should be made by us all and defended by us all.

Following its launch, we will be reaching out to supporters and others to sign up to the Charter, and see it as more than just a sterile document. It is grounded in rights that already exist – the right to know, to choose, and to be protected. Everyone can turn these principles into everyday action:

Ask Questions Where You Shop
  • Ask retailers, farm shops and supermarkets whether products contain or are derived from genetically engineered or “precision bred” organisms.
  • Request written confirmation of sourcing policies and traceability standards.
  • Support businesses that commit publicly to transparency and non-GMO sourcing.

Why it matters: Retailers respond to customer pressure faster than regulators. Repeated consumer questions create a commercial incentive for transparency, even where the law does not require it.

Support Producers Who Protect Choice
  • Buy from organic, non-GMO and agroecological producers.
  • Talk to them about how they manage contamination risks and protect seed integrity.
  • Publicly support responsible producers through reviews, social media and word of mouth.

Why it matters: Supporting producers who protect choice helps sustain alternatives that deregulation threatens to undermine.

Use Your Right to Ask
  • Ask local authorities, farmers or developers about nearby field trials or environmental releases.
  • Request public access to risk assessments and decisions and the data that has informed these.
  • Share unanswered questions or refusals with Beyond GM.

Why it matters: Even weak transparency regimes rely on public silence. Asking questions – and documenting non-answers – exposes gaps and builds evidence for reform.

Engage Locally and Politically
  • Raise questions with MPs, councillors and devolved representatives about genetic technologies, labelling and environmental releases.
  • Ask where they stand on transparency, precaution and farmers’ rights.
  • Support candidates and representatives who commit publicly to these principles

Why it matters: Political legitimacy depends on consent. Visible, informed concern shifts what policymakers consider “acceptable” or “safe to ignore”.

Protect Choice at Home and in the Garden
  • Choose seed suppliers that disclose breeding methods and respect seed sovereignty.
  • Save and exchange seed where lawful, helping preserve genetic diversity.
  • Ask garden centres and seed catalogues for clarity on genetic modification.

Why it matters: Food systems begin at seed level. Everyday choices help defend diversity and autonomy from creeping enclosure.

Share Knowledge, Build a Collective Voice
  • Share clear, factual information about genetic technologies and regulation within your networks.
  • Use the Charter as a reference point in conversations, schools, community groups and food initiatives.
  • Use the Charter to start discussions about non-GMO public procurement.
  • Encourage others to sign, endorse or reference the Charter.

Why it matters: Charters gain power through collective recognition. The more widely the principles are known and acted upon by citizens, the harder they are to dismiss.

Support Accountability Efforts
  • Back organisations working to protect transparency, consumers’ and farmers’ rights and environmental safeguards.
  • Challenge misleading claims such as “precision breeding isn’t GMO” or “precision breeding is nature equivalent”.
  • Ask regulators and public bodies to demonstrate how their decisions align with the Charter’s principles.
  • Stay informed and engaged as policies develop.

Why it matters: Institutions will adapt when credibility is at stake. Persistent, informed scrutiny creates pressure for better governance.

Every question asked, every purchasing choice made, and every conversation started helps turn principles into expectations – and expectations into norms. The Charter is your tool – use it widely and confidently to press for real transparency, choice and accountability.

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