U-turn as SNP Government opens door to genetically edited food in Scotland

THE SNP Government has U-turned on its long-standing opposition to genetically edited (GE) foods, opening the door to their potential sale and production in Scotland.

Previously, the Scottish Government had been firm in opposing UK Government laws, brought in after Brexit, which deviated from an EU ban on genetically modified (GM) foods, an umbrella term under which GE was also banned.

GM typically involves inserting genes from other organisms to give new traits, while GE adds, removes, or tweaks existing genes.

Speaking last year, First Minister John Swinney told the Scottish Farmer that the “SNP’s stance is not to pursue GE”.

“Even if they wish to in Europe, it is not in our interest,” he went on. “Here in Scotland we produce a high quality of produce and I would not like to take away from that.”

Scottish Farmer editor John Sleigh pictured with First Minister John Swinney (left) and Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie (right) (Image: NQ) That position was reaffirmed in January, with Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie telling Holyrood Magazine that the Scottish Government remained opposed to UK plans for GE foods – which were begun under the Tories and the Labour Government has moved forward.

But speaking in the Scottish Parliament last week, Fairlie signalled that the SNP’s opposition had ended and that the party was canvassing for views on what a GE food system in Scotland “should look like”.

Responding to Tory MSP Finlay Carson, who asked about “discussions with stakeholders on introducing legislation regarding GM crops”, the SNP minister said: “I am surprised that Finlay Carson is talking about GM crops because that is an entirely different conversation from the one that we have been having about gene-edited crops. 

“The Cabinet Secretary [Mairi Gougeon] and I recently attended a round-table meeting to start conversations about what the system should look like and whether there is a place for such crops in Scotland.”

Asked for clarity and if the SNP Government remained opposed to GE foods, a spokesperson told the Sunday National: “We want to ensure that Scotland operates to the highest environmental standards, and that we protect the strengths of Scottish agriculture and food production. 

“We will decide on whether or not to allow gene-edited crops to be grown or food using gene-editing techniques to be produced here, based on what is in the best interests and needs of Scotland. 

“Last month the Rural Affairs Secretary and Agriculture Minister held a meeting with agricultural, research and food and drink stakeholders to hear their views on the use of gene-edited crops and products in Scotland. Ministers will take into account stakeholder views, alongside developments in the EU, as they consider their response.”

The EU is moving in a similar direction to the UK, looking to relax rules on GE crops produced with technology like the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technique – which won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2020 – while still tightly regulating GM food.

A red-eyed jewel wasp (right) created using CRISPR technology, and an unmodified specimenUnder the Internal Market Act, which Scottish Labour opposed before U-turning earlier this year, GE products produced and sold in England must also be allowed to be sold in Scotland. 

Under the UK Government’s legislation, there are no plans to require unprocessed GE products to be labelled, sparking concerns that people will not be able to make informed decisions about the food they buy and eat.

The regulations that will bring the Tories’ Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act into effect were laid down by Labour at the start of April, after months of delays. In opposition, the party had called for greater caution than is in the Conservative bill, but have now thrown their support behind it.

Leonie Nimmo, the executive director of GM Freeze, said that Westminster’s GE laws, coupled with the Internal Market Act, “leave virtually no possibility for the enactment of independent policies” in the devolved nations.

She argued that the regulations “have been written to rule out freedom of choice – for farmers, consumers and devolved nation legislators alike”, adding: “For Scotland to capitulate it would be a bitter pill to swallow.”

Ruth Watson, the founder of Keep Scotland The Brand, told the Sunday National that allowing GE crops north of the Border would undermine the trust in the high quality of Scottish food.

She said: “Scotland's brand is built upon our name for natural, authentic products. As more countries allow genetic modification to become the norm, Scotland's reputation for food and drink you can trust becomes reinforced and develops greater value.  

“I have spoken to many in the food and drink, agricultural, and science community over the years and it is certainly the case that some are very keen for Scotland to adopt gene editing and CRISPR technology in the commercial sector, however, many others are deeply concerned by the prospect.”

Watson raised concerns that “neighbouring crops or wild brassicas could be pollinated by GM pollen, allowing for these edited genes to enter the wild population with unexpected consequences”.

Ruth Watson founded the Keep Scotland the Brand campaignThough she said the Scottish Government was “right to listen to the range of views and expert opinions”, Watson urged them to “keep Scotland's brand as a producer of authentic food with nothing added, or taken out”.

Pat Thomas, the director of Beyond GM, made a similar argument, saying that GM food’s track record had been “underwhelming, unconvincing and in some cases environmentally harmful”.

“Scotland has a thriving food economy based on quality and trust,” she went on. “The Government’s faith and investment should support and scale what is working for ‘Scotland the brand’ rather than trading it for overblown claims of benefits that will likely never materialise."