A farming union boss has warned nearer ties with the EU might put Britain’s “hard won” post-Brexit technological victories in “real jeopardy”.
Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), advised the UK dangers undermining its progress on gene enhancing and pesticide use.
He stated: “We welcome the principle of an improved relationship with the EU, one that reduces friction and enables better trade at a time of global instability. But the devil will be in the detail. We have to get it right, and there is real jeopardy.
“We mustn’t sacrifice our hard-won technological advantage in gene editing, or our access to GB approved plant protection products in order to reach a deal.”
Some crops, including strawberries, onions, potatoes, barley and wheat, are being sprayed with pesticides banned across Europe.
The UK’s post-Brexit “precision breeding” legislation has opened the door for the rapid development of more nutritious and resilient food crops using genetic technologies.
After Brexit, the UK passed the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 which created a distinction between gene editing and genetically modified foods.
Farming bosses have voiced concerns that this advantage could be lost under “dynamic alignment” with EU rules as the government seeks closer trading ties with Europe.
The NFU is lobbying for an exception to be applied to the government’s gene editing legislation to ensure it is not affected by a new Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement being negotiated as part of Keir Starmer’s EU “reset”.
The Daily Express has launched the Give Us a Proper Brexit marketing campaign to make sure Britain totally makes use of the freedoms allowed by exiting the EU.
Mr Bradshaw additionally took intention on the Government over the 14-month inheritance tax battle following Rachel Reeves’s 2024 finances resolution to heap the levy on farmers.
Speaking on the NFU’s yearly convention in Birmingham, he stated “we still believe the inheritance tax policy is fundamentally flawed” whereas calling on political events to make axing the household farm tax a manifesto promise.
The authorities made a sudden U-turn in December when it reversed its stance on inheritance tax, elevating aid for farms and companies from £1million to £2.5million.
This adopted a long-fought Express marketing campaign known as Save Britain’s Family Farm – which continues to demand the Government scrap the tax completely.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2174835/keir-starmer-brexit-gene-editing-farming