The Real and Perceived Risks of Genetically Modified Organisms – With a View on Changing Policy Following Brexit
I.
INTRODUCTION
The human population is growing and requiring increasing amounts of land for agriculture, with increasing environmental impacts that directly counterbalance our efforts for decarbonization and environmental sustainability. Since their conception, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have represented a controversial, yet promising opportunity to transform our agricultural system, in much the same way as the Green Revolution of the 1960s. The negative impacts of agriculture on our planet can be mitigated with the use of carbon-efficient, low-nitrogen input, pest-resistant crops, which can be most efficiently delivered to the market using GMO and gene editing technologies. GMO agricultural applications are further complemented by a range of industrial and medical applications. GMO technology could significantly contribute to meeting several sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda, including: zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water and life on land. GMOs have the potential to increase yields, decrease losses and improve the sustainability of agricultural and industrial practices to ensure United Kingdom (UK) food security. Legislation governing GMOs is highly variable around the globe and the EU (whose legislation is currently followed by the UK) has one of the strictest stances to governance of GMO growth and sale, reducing the potential for innovation and allowing other countries to streak ahead in their expertise and the benefits they derive in this sector. A very significant part of UK’s biotechnology legislation implements EU rules, that applied to the UK on 31 December 2020 and have become domestic legislation under The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.1 In principle, since the transition period has ended the UK has become able to set its own approach to biotechnology regulation both internally and externally. Regulation which takes a sciencebased approach to judge the safety of GMOs to both humans and the environment whilst allowing the UK to take advantage of the benefits that GMOs can offer, would allow the UK agricultural and biotechnology sectors to fulfil the needs of its people whilst maintaining a competitive edge in the globalised food, feed and biofuels market. Commercial adoption of GMOs has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of the The National Archives, ‘EU Legislation and UK Law’ <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eu-legislation-and-uklaw> accessed 7 March 2021. 1
The Wilberforce Society Cambridge, UK
www.thewilberforcesociety.co.uk
1
March 2021
