The UK’s agricultural sector is entering a new era with the implementation of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, positioning England as a European leader in agri-tech innovation. This landmark legislation opens the door for advanced breeding techniques like precision breeding, which promises faster, more accurate crop development to meet the challenges of climate change and global food security.
From traditional breeding to precision science
For centuries, plant breeding has relied on crossing two parent plants and hoping nature delivers the right combination of traits. While this process is guided by expertise, it involves uncertainty and can take decades to achieve desired results.
Precision breeding changes the game. Instead of waiting for chance, scientists make targeted adjustments to a plant’s existing genetic material—without introducing foreign genes. Unlike GMOs, which transfer genes from other species, precision breeding works within the plant’s own DNA, creating improvements that mimic what traditional breeding could achieve, only much faster.
How is precision breeding different from gene editing?
The term gene editing was widely used in the past, but the scientific community now prefers precision breeding to avoid confusion with genetic modification (GMO), which involves adding foreign DNA. Precision breeding simply accelerates natural processes without introducing external genetic material.
Speed and accuracy: Cutting development time by a decade
One of the most significant advantages of precision breeding is speed. Experts estimate it can reduce the time to develop a new variety by 5–10 years, accelerating innovation for growers and consumers alike. This efficiency is crucial as the global population approaches 10 billion and the demand for resilient, high-yield crops intensifies.
Traditional breeding often introduces unintended genetic changes, while older techniques like mutagenesis—used since the 1960s—cause widespread, random modifications. Precision breeding avoids these pitfalls by making defined, targeted changes, ensuring better outcomes for farmers and the environment.
Legislation unlocks innovation
The UK’s new regulatory framework makes it easier to test and commercialize precision-bred plants. This science-led approach supports sustainable agriculture by enabling crops that are more resistant to disease, better adapted to climate extremes, and capable of producing higher yields with fewer inputs like fertilizers and pesticides.
As policymakers and industry look for ways to futureproof the nation’s food system, the conversation is increasingly shifting from whether we should adopt new breeding technologies to how quickly we can deploy them responsibly. The pressures driving this shift are not abstract—they’re felt in everyday life, from rising food prices to the growing unpredictability of global supply chains. Against this backdrop, the role of precision breeding becomes clearer: it is not simply a scientific advancement, but a practical response to a world where food security can no longer be taken for granted.
Rodrigo Echegoyén-Nava, Elsoms Head of Research and Lab Services, captures this reality succinctly:
“We're currently living in a world that constantly presents challenges in nearly all aspects of our lives. You might not have the newest flagship model phone, stop your news feed or follow your favourite musician on social media, but you will still need to eat something every single day.
Food security has become one of the main concerns globally. Precision breeding emerges as an additional tool to allow breeders and scientists develop higher yield, more resilient plant varieties, by exploiting crops at their full potential.”
Addressing public perception
Despite its benefits, precision breeding faces misconceptions. Many assume it’s radically different from traditional breeding, but in reality, it’s a more precise version of what breeders have done for millennia. There’s nothing extra left in the plant, no foreign DNA—just improvements that nature could have produced over time.
Why it matters
Without continued investment in plant breeding, agriculture risks stagnation. As David Coop, Elsoms Managing Director warns:
"If no company can afford to produce new varieties, we will simply have to make do with what we've already got. Nature will catch up with us, and we won’t be able to produce enough food for a growing population."
Precision breeding offers a solution—faster innovation, stronger crops, and a sustainable future for farming.
