Rothamsted Research was very quick out of the blocks in welcoming the enactment of the UK’s legislation regarding gene editing, i.e., the new Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act.
This shouldn’t come as a great surprise. The aforementioned organisation has been calling for this step to be taken by London since Brexit got the green light.
At this point I would like to proffer the opinion that Brussels would not have given this ‘venture’ the green light in a month of Sundays. But more of this anon.
Not for one second would I question the scientific and academic prowess of the research staff at Rothamsted.
But I do have the right to comment on the grey areas contained within the myriad press releases and statements that they have issued by the organisation over the years, where genetic editing is concerned.
Gene editing
If one was to take on board the Rothamsted perspective on genetic editing, then one might quickly think that the myriad challenges facing humanity right now – climate change, global food security and widespread biodiversity loss to name but three – would be resolved by the immediate and widespread adoption of the technology.
I don’t buy into that view of life for one second.
But then there’s the other side of the equation. Rothamsted always seems to take a very long-winded way of confirming that genetic editing is not a standalone technology.
When we get back to the very basics of it all, there is still a requirement to genetically modify the DNA make-up of the starting cells from which a new plant variety can be developed.
So, in essence, we still need a genetically modified organism (GMO) to get us off the ground.
I wonder if the general public are fully on board with all of this. After all, this is the same science that brought us cloning and ‘Dolly the Sheep’.
And it is the link back to GM that ensures the ire of Brussels will be raised should the UK ever try to push genetically-edited crops in the direction of the European Union.
This may seem a very trite point to the scientists at Rothamsted. However, the fact is that the UK exports very, very large tonnages of wheat and barley to the EU on an annual basis.
So could the commercial development of gene-edited wheat variety put all of this export trade at risk?
The fact is that the EU has a ‘zero tolerance’ policy where all matters relating to GM are concerned.
And I sense that Brussels may well treat genetic editing in the same way.
