Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum

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Next steps for gene-edited foods in England

regulatory developments | new legislation | policy & sector opportunities | streamlining & safety | market development | cross-border issues | R&I | funding & investor confidence | consumer priorities | food labelling

Morning, Tuesday, 29th April 2025

Online


This conference will examine next steps for gene-edited food development, production and regulation in England.


It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to examine next steps for policy to support the delivery of gene-edited food production, with secondary legislation recently being laid before Parliament to secure implementation of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, alongside publication of guidance outlining requirements of the new regulatory framework that will apply to precision-bred organisms.


We expect the discussion to bring out latest thinking on opportunities for the sector in the developing policy landscape, looking at the role of new technologies in strengthening domestic food security, and helping prepare the agricultural sector for future challenges and demands. It comes with Defra’s recently published UK Food Security Report finding weakened food production stability and supply chain resilience.


Strategic priorities for R&D will be discussed, alongside avoiding ecosystem harm to the food system as it adapts to climate change.


The agenda looks at priorities for regulation, with the FSA consulting on a framework for gene-edited food production. Areas for discussion include funding and investment priorities, strategies for tackling barriers to market development, implications of cross-border regulatory divergence, and issues for intellectual property rights


Those attending will also consider options and implications for industry around pre-authorisation processes for products, and managing risk, particularly with new legislation not requiring food labels to identify gene-edited products.


Further sessions will consider public engagement on gene-edited products, assessing latest trends in consumer preferences and how best to address concerns around food safety and potential development of new toxins, with discussion on understanding, awareness, and marketing.


Overall, areas for discussion include:

  • policy and strategic priorities:
    • assessing the way forward for secondary legislation and progressing the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act following the publication of guidance in March 2025
    • strategic considerations for potential contribution of GM food products in ensuring food security, meeting environmental targets, climate adaptation, and addressing wider agri-food challenges
    • priorities for regulatory bodies, manufacturers and government in ensuring safety in gene-edited food production and the safeguarding of animal welfare
  • regulation:
    • priorities for development and implementation of FSA framework - frameworks around IP, licencing, producer rights, and tackling delivery barriers
    • approaches to safety and utilising previous evidence-based approaches to allow for accelerated approval of gene-edited food products
    • key considerations for international alignment, inducing divergence from EU regulation and issues for cross-border domestic regulations
  • research and innovation:
    • industry priorities and addressing barriers to the delivery of gene-edited food development and research
    • commercial considerations for patents, investment, and improving regulatory certainty - strategies for incentivising and attracting businesses to develop and launch products in England
  • consumer confidence:
    • communication, engagement, and addressing challenges surrounding gene-edited food products - improving public information on genetically-edited food safety, origin and authenticity
    • assessing options for mandatory labelling of gene-edited products - approaches for improving transparency and traceability 

All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from Defra; DBT; FSA; FSS; CCC; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.



Keynote Speakers

Professor Gideon Henderson

Chief Scientific Adviser and Director General, Science and Analysis, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Professor Mario Caccamo

CEO and Director, Niab

Keynote Speakers

Professor Gideon Henderson

Chief Scientific Adviser and Director General, Science and Analysis, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Professor Mario Caccamo

CEO and Director, Niab

Chair

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

Speakers

Dr Kate Parkes

Section Manager for Pigs and Poultry, RSPCA

Duncan Ribbons

VP Intellectual Property and Regulatory, Tropic

Dr Vladimir Nekrasov

Head, Crop Transformation and Genome Editing Unit, Rothamsted Research

Dr Teresa Babuscio

Head, Government and Industry Affairs, EMEA, Corteva

Professor Cathie Martin

Group Leader, Harnessing Biosynthesis for Sustainable Food and Health, John Innes Centre

Kierra Box

Lead, Trade and Environmental Regulation, Friends of the Earth

Taly Dvorkis

Director, Fieldfisher

Siân Edmonds

Senior Associate, Osborne Clarke

Daniel Cameron

Research Director, Ipsos

Tom Allen-Stevens

Managing Director, BOFIN