Gene Editing

Thank you for writing to me about precision breeding and gene editing. This advance in technology will help the UK achieve greater food security and more sustainable farming, and I support the Bill which is going through Parliament at the moment.
 
In Meon Valley we have both a precious natural landscape, and many farms which make a contribution both to good environmental stewardship and our food supply. This Bill will help us locally, and developing the technology further will help people around the world.
 
Globally, between 20 and 40 per cent of all crops grown are lost to pests and diseases. Improving crop resistance to those threats through precision breeding will allow us to grow more food, use less pesticide, and be more resilient to climate change. That is not to say that we don’t need to tackle climate change – of course we do – but we have to accept that change has already happened and it weakens the security of the food supply chain. As we are reminded at present, national security has to include food production, and I am pleased that we now have a National Food Strategy in place which this Bill supports.
 
The term “precision breeding” in the title of the Bill is a very good description. The science behind it mimics the processes which nature carried on for millions of years before humans began to improve crops or livestock.
 
An example of how gene editing could help bring about real benefits for nature is bovine TB, which is still an issue for farmers in Meon Valley. Even in recent weeks I have met a local farmer who has had to deal with an outbreak, and heard about the problems this causes. Many constituents are rightly concerned about the impact on badgers of their being vectors for TB, and it is a subject I have often corresponded with constituents about. If it is possible to improve resistance to bovine TB through gene editing, it will be transformational.
 
This Bill is an example of how we can improve the safety of wildlife, and the diversity of species in the countryside and their numbers. It makes no change to our world-leading animal welfare and safety regime. Indeed if it allows us to breed healthier livestock it will make an enormous contribution to animal welfare, in the UK and globally. The UK has always been a leader in the push for higher agricultural and environmental standards, and I look forward to this Bill becoming law in due course because of the benefits it will bring everyone.