The Precision Breeding Act streamlines regulations for gene-edited plant and animal products in England, enabling scientists to make precise and targeted DNA changes to create foods with improved traits, like disease resistance, enhanced nutritional value and extended shelf life.

The legislation speeds up the breeding process, encouraging scientific research to improve food security and protect the future of British farming.

Crucially, it gives UK food producers a competitive advantage over companies based in the EU, which does not yet have the same laws in place.

Norwich Research Park is home to a growing cluster of agricultural biotechnology companies, which have benefited from being based in the UK.

Norwich Research Park (Image: Anglia Innovation Partnership)

Now, the city’s world-leading centre for science is urging the prime minister to create an exception for precision-bred products in a potential new EU trade deal.

A sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the bloc could bring many benefits for UK consumers, farmers and food producers, if it can lower costs by removing border checks and red tape.

Roz Bird, chief executive of Anglia Innovation Partnership, the campus management organisation for Norwich Research Park, said while “frictionless trade between the UK and Europe is a good thing”, securing a carve-out for precision breeding in future agreements will ensure the country - and Norfolk - continue to lead in the field.

Roz Bird, chief executive of Anglia Innovation Partnership, the campus management organisation for Norwich Research Park (Image: Lee Blanchflower)

“Successful companies at Norwich Research Park, such as Tropic and Alora, will then continue to make........

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