Gene editing and bovine TB were hot topics at the Farmers Union of Wales' Senedd manifesto launch. Abi Kay reports.
Governments should invest in gene editing research to avoid profiteering by large multinationals at the expense of farmers, Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) head of policy Dr Nick Fenwick has said.
Dr Fenwick suggested the issues of genetic modification (GM) and gene editing had traditionally divided farmers and the union's members, with many of the latter raising concerns that the technologies concentrate power in the hands of very few big companies.
He went on to say the FUW was not opposed to gene editing in principle, but would be against any produce being released prematurely into the environment before thorough testing, or the introduction of crops which are reliant on certain chemicals.
Speaking during the launch of FUW's Senedd manifesto, Dr Fenwick said: "We have been very clear in the policy statements we have put out over the years on GM and similar technology that what we would like to see is far greater Government support for this type of technology, so it is done rather in the same way as plant breeding stations such as the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) [a department of Aberystwyth University].
"That was set up to improve the lot of upland farmers and played a critical role in developing new types of breed, which allowed farmers to remain in the uplands and reduce rural depopulation.
Investment
"This was done in order to help the farming community in general. Private investment is important for the research industries, but it needs to be balanced with Government investment to make sure genes are introduced to crops for the benefit of all, rather than the benefit of those who simply want to sell a single chemical."
Dr Fenwick said it was too early to give an answer about whether English gene-edited produce should be able to cross the Welsh border if the two Governments end up taking a different position on the technology.
A consultation on the regulation of gene editing, with a proposal to move away from the EU's treatment of it as the same as GM, closed last month in England.
"This does directly relate to ensuring we have a UK single market which has relative consistency," he said.
"We cannot run away from the fact that our main export market is England. But we also need to bear in mind the adverse impacts of allowing technologies or any other changes to rules which compromise our ability to access the European market."
