The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Access to gene editing seen as a ‘priority’ for agriculture
Leaders of Scotland’s agricultural supply industry have called on rural stakeholders to unite to put pressure on the Scottish Government to change its stance on gene editing.
Getting access to the technology is among the key priorities the AIC, the supply industry’s trade association, has outlined in its manifesto ahead of the Scottish parliamentary elections in May.
The renewed pressure on the Scottish Government to reconsider the use of gene editing in agriculture comes as the UK Government’s consultation on the topic closes and just ahead of an imminent report by the European Commission.
Scotland’s AIC policy manager, Ian Muirhead, said access to the technology – which he referred to as “precision plant breeding” – was essential if the farming industry was to be equipped to hit the government’s net zero emissions targets.
Speaking at the launch of the manifesto, he said his organisation was aiming to make progress with government “behind the scenes”.
“We have had correspondence with the Scottish Government to get their view – and it’s maybe more nuanced than the headlines would suggest,” he said.
“We recognise the political sensitivities, but we’re trying to create a space to have a discussion about the opportunities that exist from adoption of the technology and the benefits that would accrue from that.
“The reality is that Scottish livestock will already have GM components in their diets. Likewise, if gene-edited crops were grown in the rest of the UK and not in Scotland, the nature of trade would mean they’d end up having some components of their feed from (English) sources.”
Other manifesto policy priorities for AIC include government support for industry-led advice services, access to green technologies, support for sustainability measures, access to crop protection products and support for productivity.
It also calls for access to sustainable protein and support for research and development.