A variety of barley with gene editing, developed by scientists at Rothamsted Research in the United Kingdom, has become the first crop to receive marketing authorization as a "precision-bred organism" (PBO, for its acronym in English). This decision comes after the implementation of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act of 2025, which aims to expedite the marketing of genetically edited crops to possess beneficial characteristics that could have occurred naturally. The barley has been developed using CRISPR gene editing to increase the lipid content in plant tissues, thereby creating a high-energy forage for ruminants such as cows and sheep. The increase in lipid levels in the forage can improve feed efficiency and has the potential to reduce methane emissions produced during digestion. The genetic changes introduced in the barley are minor modifications that could also occur naturally or through conventional breeding. The Rothamsted barley was ...