British farmers are ready to give gene-edited crops a shot. Nearly eight in 10 (78%) say they would consider growing them within the next five years, according to a new survey led by the University of Nottingham, as FarmingUK reports. That figure climbed to 90% once the technology was explained to them. A little explanation, it seems, goes a long way.
Pest and disease resistance topped farmers’ wish lists at 85%, followed by improved nitrogen use efficiency (66%), drought tolerance (55%) and higher yields (50%). Their motivations were practical: profitability led the way (69%), with reduced fertilizer use (56%) and lower pesticide use (50%) close behind.
The sticking point is the market. Sixty percent named buyer and market acceptance as the biggest potential barrier. On labeling, 43% said gene-edited foods should always be labeled, while 26% backed labels for selected products.
The survey is linked to PROBITY, a three-year, £2.2 million Defra-funded project led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) with 11 research and industry partners. It is testing precision-bred cereals on commercial farms in England. A high-lipid barley line has already entered on-farm trials, and a low-asparagine wheat line is planned. Both were developed at Rothamsted Research and have Food Standards Agency approval.
“It is encouraging to see that growers recognize the potential benefits of gene-edited crops,” said Tom Allen-Stevens, BOFIN managing director and PROBITY project lead. That interest, he said, “highlights the need to trial them on farms to see if they deliver,” and to assess concerns over market acceptance.
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“As the first to bring these crops onto commercial farms we are in uncharted territory,” Allen-Stevens added, stressing that “a continued open dialogue is essential.”
