On September 29, 2021, the United Kingdom (UK) announced plans to pave the way for gene editing technologies to be used for crops raised in the UK.  While the European Union (EU) regulates organisms modified by gene editing as genetically modified organisms, the UK is choosing to take a different approach to gene editing.  As a first step, the government will change rules relating to gene editing to facilitate research and development.

The UK’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) noted that gene editing is different from genetic modification because it does not result in the introduction of DNA from other species, but rather creates new varieties that are similar to those that could be produced by natural breeding processes.

DEFRA takes the position that gene editing will make plant breeding more efficient and will be able to develop crops that are more nutritious, more resistant to pests and disease, and more beneficial to the environment.  To that end, DEFRA notes that gene edited foods will only be permitted to be marketed if they do not present a health risk, do not mislead consumers, and do not have lower nutritional value than their non-genetically edited counterparts.