UK precision breeding regulations officially legislated: opening a new era of agricultural gene editing

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 were signed by Daniel Zeichner, Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and are expected to be fully implemented in the autumn of 2025. The regulations, as secondary legislation, were submitted to Parliament in February 2025 and are intended to fully implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act passed in March 2023, providing a more streamlined regulatory process for gene-edited crops. Gene editing technology has broad application prospects in the agricultural field. The British government supports precision breeding technology because it can increase food production, reduce farmers' costs, and cultivate crops that are drought-resistant and pest-resistant. The technology is expected to develop crops that are more nutritious, pest-resistant, climate-adaptive and environmentally friendly. British consumers may see gene-edited products appear on supermarket ...