2023-03-29
The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 is now law in the UK.
Following a public consultation from 7 January to 17 March 2021 (Covid notwithstanding), the government has published its response, plus a summary of the responses received (download).
"Defra’s view is that organisms produced by GE or by other genetic technologies should not be regulated as GMOs if they could have been produced by traditional breeding methods"
But who is to answer this significant "if" question?
Indeed, who is to even ask it?
And how can the public know what is going on?
Whether a particular product has been properly verified and classified?
Whether indeed the system as legislated will be effective at all?
In short, where is the watchdog, will it be awake, will it have teeth, and how will we know?
Did we want this legislation?
Whilst the majority of the responses received were not supportive, Parliament went ahead anyway.
But products containing these organisms will be required to be labelled, right?
Wrong.
"The UK government has stated that no separate definition will be given to gene technology-engineered products, therefore no special labelling will be required"
Nobody need know what we are eating. Or buying. Or growing.
Are we OK with that? Of course we are, the government is looking after us, right?
"This piece of legislation will, for the time being, be unique to the UK, as such animal and plant biotech deformations are not allowed in the EU and many other countries"
Technocracy News and Trends comments.
"If there is to be a future king or queen, the country needs that person to exercise his/her right to stand up against the continual parliamentary usurpation of the people’s power"
Not being a UK-based publication, it's none of their business, but they have a point.
2023-03-30
Our own Richard Vobes gives "precision breeding" a preliminary once-over:
(17 minutes)
Like / Dislike this video here.
