Currently, no one is immune to the rising cost of living. Oil and gas prices are surging and prices at the fuel stations are eye-watering. This is tough for everyone but farmers are particularly feeling the pressure. Increased cost of fertiliser and feed mean that our farmers are finding it harder to grow our food.
It’s right that the Government is taking action – so far, £37billion has been redirected to struggling households either in a council tax rebate or a £400 payment to every household. But there are other levers that the Government could use to help farmers cut costs and benefit the environment at the same time. It’s a bit technical, and won’t happen over night, but gene-editing is the way to do this.
The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill proposes solutions to the challenges facing the farming community via simple technology. Gene editing involves making small specific changes to existing DNA, speeding up a process that could occur through natural breeding. It must not be confused with Gene-Modifying, a process that produces completely different species, something that would not happen naturally.
The Bill is of huge benefit to the UK agricultural industry. We are removing barriers inherited by the EU to enable the fine tuning of plants and animals, drive economic growth, and position the UK as the global hub for agri-food research and innovation. This could have numerous benefits, from building crops that are more resistant to the climate crisis, pests and diseases, to increasing crop yields, which could help to combat global hunger.
Sadly, the Welsh Government is standing in the way of this Bill – because that’s what their heroes in the Scottish Independence movement are telling them to do. Unwilling to seize this post-Brexit opportunity, the Welsh and Scottish administrations are refusing to implement these regulations. At a time when food security is critical, our climate is in peril and our farmers are struggling to make ends meet – quite why the Welsh Government should dismiss options which could help is a mystery to me.
The Bill can be followed here