Genus plc, the parent company of PIC (Pig Improvement Company), has announced that Colombia’s government issued a favorable regulatory determination for gene-edited pigs resistant to the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

This means Colombia will treat the PRRS-resistant pigs the same as conventionally bred pigs. It is important to note this determination will not automatically trigger sales of PRRS-resistant pigs in Colombia. PIC is working closely and transparently with all stakeholders in the animal protein value chain to establish a timeline for commercialization.

“For more than 30 years, pork producers have struggled to protect their pigs from the devastating PRRS virus. PIC is working to make the PRRS-resistant pig and genetics available to producers across the globe to improve animal welfare and the sustainability of pork production,” said Matt Culbertson, chief operations officer at PIC. “Today’s announcement marks a critical milestone in the battle against PRRS and it moves PIC one step closer to commercializing the PRRS-resistant pig.”

Grass may transfer genes from their neighbors in the same way genetically modified crops are made, a new study has revealed.

Research, led by the University of Sheffield, is the first to show the frequency at which grasses incorporate DNA from other species into their genomes through a process known as lateral gene transfer.

The stolen genetic secrets give them an evolutionary advantage by allowing them to grow faster, bigger or stronger and adapt to new environments quicker.

Nineteen projects developing automation and robotic technologies for the farming industry will receive a share of £12.5 million in new government funding.

Robots, drones and automated vehicles will receive funding as part of a bid to increase food productivity while enhancing sustainable farming practices.

The projects are funded through Defra's Farming Futures Automation and Robotics competition, which is part of the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP).

Yorkshire pig producer Rob Beckett has written to Defra minister Mark Spencer MP, urging the UK Government to speed up plans to allow the commercial use of precision breeding techniques in farmed animals.

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act was granted Royal Assent in March this year, paving the way for gene edited crops and livestock to be introduced on farms in England.

One of the first potential applications in livestock could be PRRS resistant pigs, bred using gene edited traits developed by scientists at the University of Missouri in the US, and the Roslin Institute in the UK.

Plant breeders have welcomed proposals by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for a new streamlined, science-led approach to regulating gene-edited crops in England. An FSA board meeting on Wednesday 20 September discussed plans for the regulation of precision bred food and feed products under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023.

Until recently, it was believed the FSA was planning to require a separate risk assessment, expert committee scrutiny, public consultation, approval by both Houses of Parliament and secretary of state sign-off for every precision-bred product.

Mirroring the regulatory process already adopted in Canada, and the approach proposed by the EU Commission in July, the FSA is now recommending a move away from the lengthy regulated products process currently applied to GMOs, novel foods and irradiated foods.

The European Commission is recommending that the controversial herbicide glyphosate be renewed, subject to conditions, when its current licence expires in December.

An EU official said the recommendation followed an "unprecedented" three-year scientific assessment by member states, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

A UK study has for the first time demonstrated in evidence the importance of GWP* for more accurately assessing the climate impact of livestock methane.

The environmental impact of a pasture-based beef system was assessed using an unprecedented range of factors, metrics, assessments and scenarios, including GWP*, which showed a huge effect on results.

When applying GWP*, the study showed that the warming impact of methane emitted by UK livestock could be much less than currently reported. Published in Environmental Research, the new research was undertaken by UK scientists at eight institutions.

A Scots MSP has called on the Scottish Government to make a U-turn over its opposition to gene editing.

Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, warned its “narrow minded” approach towards genetic technology could harm food security.

Speaking at Holyrood yesterday, he said: “The agriculture industry in Scotland needs clear direction on future farming policies including the use of gene editing to create crops better suited to the changing climate here in Scotland, and help reduce any negative impacts of biodiversity.

Defra remains committed to keeping glyphosate available for farmers and growers to use, environment secretary Therese Coffey has said.

Ms Coffey was roundly applauded at the NFU’s Back British Farming Day event at Westminster on Wednesday (13 September) when she signalled her department’s continuing support for glyphosate use in UK agriculture.

“Absolutely, this government is on your side,” said Ms Coffey. “Since I’ve been in post in the last year, we have given an absolute commitment to continuing glyphosate. The science is clear. The farmers need it. It is critical to regenerative farming. It is staying.”

Scientists at a sustainable farming think tank have submitted a complaint to the BBC about alleged pro-organic farming bias.

Science for Sustainable Agriculture (SSA) has written to BBC director general Tim Davies to challenge “misleading and factually inaccurate assertions” in relation to farming in the BBC’s online Bitesize revision guides aimed at GCSE students in England and National 5 students in Scotland.

Throughout the guides, it is repeatedly stated that organic farming has a less harmful effect on the environment, is less polluting, and uses more “natural” methods than non-organic farming.

Farmers looking to improve soil organic matter, reduce nutrient losses and increase carbon capture may soon be able to produce their own biochar on farm. Start-up company Capchar aims to facilitate on-farm biochar production by developing pyrolysis kiln technology.

Biochar is the lightweight, carbon-rich end product of pyrolysis – heating organic material to temperatures of 300-700C in an oxygen-limited environment. The black, charcoal-like residue contains 75-80% pure carbon and can be used on farm as a soil amendment with many potential benefits.

In the face of growing food security concerns due to climate change, scientists in New Zealand are attempting to grow fruit tissue in labs.

While work on lab-grown meat has made headlines in recent years, similar work on fruit is less common. Scientists at Plant & Food Research in the southern city of Christchurch are aiming to change that by growing fruit tissue from plant cells that they hope will one day taste, smell and feel like real fruit.

Researchers hope that the program will help safeguard the country’s food security.