Farming UK reports that the Precision Breeding Act, which comes into force today, creates a new, more streamlined regulatory pathway for gene-edited crops in England, opening up prospects to boost yields, disease resistance, climate resilience and reduce chemical use. The APPG on Science and Technology in Agriculture welcomed the move as an important step towards accelerating innovation, strengthening food security and aligning the UK with countries already regulating gene-edited crops separately from GMOs. But the Group cautioned that these hard-won gains must not be compromised by future UK–EU alignment discussions or any cross-border Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.

Farmers Weekly reports that the UK government’s planned Brexit “reset” and a fast-tracked SPS deal with the EU could remove more than half of British farmers’ herbicide options by mid-2027, industry leaders have warned. At a meeting with the Cabinet Office this week, industry representatives were told prime minister Sir Keir Starmer wants the government’s SPS agreement with the EU to be implemented by June 2027, with no transition period. This would mean immediate UK alignment with EU rules, and key autumn herbicides such as flufenacet and cinmethylin - vital for blackgrass control - would disappear, risking major yield losses and costs estimated at £1bn annually.

Farmers Weekly reports that a £1 million UK research initiative, the Pea Protein Project, has developed new pea varieties with higher protein quality, fewer allergens, and no traditional pea flavour - offering a sustainable home-grown alternative to imported soya. Funded by Defra and Innovate UK, the collaboration includes Germinal, the John Innes Centre, IBERS Aberystwyth University, and PGRO. The project aims to reduce reliance on the 3–4 million tonnes of soya imported annually by improving pea taste, nutrition, and functionality. Researchers will now scale up seed production for field testing, marking a key step forward for the UK’s locally produced plant protein sector.

Farmers Weekly reports that Baroness Minette Batters has urged a reassessment of British agriculture’s economic value, saying its 0.6% GDP share “grossly underestimates” its true contribution to growth, jobs, and food security. Presenting her upcoming farm profitability review, she called for collaboration between Defra and the ONS to recalculate farming’s full impact, aiming for agriculture to generate 10% of GDP within a decade. Her six-month review includes 50+ recommendations on planning reform, labour shortages, taxation, and innovation.

The Scottish Farmer reports that a new parliamentary report warns the UK could lose up to 32% of its food output by 2050 unless urgent reforms are made to farming and land-use policy. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture (APPGSTA) found that competing land demands—such as housing, rewilding, tree-planting and solar projects—could remove 25% of farmed land, much of it prime arable. The group urges adoption of its “30:50:50 mission” to produce 30% more food with 50% less environmental impact, plus a statutory 75% self-sufficiency target. Chair George Freeman MP warns that fragmented policies and weak translation of innovation into practice threaten food security amid global instability.

Farmers Weekly reports that a new report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture calls for a radical reset of UK food production policy to improve food self-sufficiency and cut environmental impact. It warns that without reform, the UK could lose up to 23% of farmland and 32% of output by 2050, increasing reliance on imports. The report advocates a statutory 75% food self-sufficiency target, protection of high-yield farmland, and greater use of new farming technologies. It criticises fragmented policies, and urges a unified strategy focused on “producing more from less” through innovation and productivity improvement.

Farmers Guardian reports that farming groups from 11 countries, including the UK, have urged the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to reform emissions accounting. They argue the current GWP100 method exaggerates agriculture’s climate impact by equating short-lived methane with long-lived gases like CO₂. Instead, they advocate a split-gas approach that distinguishes between gas lifespans to more accurately reflect warming effects. NFU leaders Tom Bradshaw and David Barton said better measurement will drive fair policy, science-based mitigation, and food security.

Pig World reports that scientists at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh have successfully gene-edited pigs with resistance to classical swine fever (CSF), a deadly viral disease that devastates livestock. The researchers made a targeted change to a gene responsible for producing a protein called DNAJC14, which allowed them to block the virus from reproducing in pig cells. Gene-edited pigs exposed to CSF remained healthy, unlike unedited ones. According to the scientists involved, the breakthrough demonstrates the growing potential of gene editing to enhance global animal health and agricultural sustainability by strengthening resilience against future livestock disease outbreaks.

Farming UK reports that researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) have developed ‘farm-twin’, the world’s first digital twin for dairy farming. Built at SRUC’s Dairy Research Centre, the open-source platform integrates real-time data from sensors, telemetry, and digital tools into a unified system that models entire farm operations. Using AI and predictive analytics, it identifies early signs of health or productivity issues, automates responses like isolating sick cows, and enables farmers to test strategies virtually.

Farming UK reports that extreme weather linked to climate change is driving up the price of everyday foods like beef, milk, butter, coffee, and chocolate. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). Prices for these staples rose by an average of 15.6%—over four times faster than other foods—adding around £360 to the average UK household food bill. Droughts, heatwaves, and livestock disease outbreaks have disrupted supply chains, while the UK’s dependence on food imports heightens vulnerability. Experts warn that monetary policy cannot offset these climate-driven pressures, urging government action to strengthen food security and accelerate emissions reductions.