The European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI) approved on Wednesday (24 January) new rules for new genomic techniques (NGTs). The plenary will vote in two weeks, but doubts remain on whether a law can be approved before the elections.

With 47 votes in favour to 31 against and 4 abstentions, a right-leaning majority agreed to set two categories of NGTs: gene-edited plants that are “indistinguishable” from those obtained through conventional breeding (NGT 1) – which would be exempted from the requirements of the GMO legislation – and those with more “complex modifications” (NGT 2) – which would follow stricter rules.

In line with the Commission’s proposal, presented in July, MEPs agreed that NGT seeds must be labelled accordingly but that there would be no mandatory labelling at consumer level for the NGT 1 products. Lawmakers also voted to keep all NGTs out of organic production – claiming their compatibility “requires further attention” – and to prevent EU countries from banning them in their territory. While the EU executive decided to leave the question of patents unanswered, MEPs voted to introduce a full ban on patents for NGTs “to avoid legal uncertainties, increased costs and new dependencies for farmers and breeders”.

Professor Tina Barsby, a renowned plant scientist from Cambridge, has highlighted the disconnect between the UK's leadership in academic agricultural science and its lagging agricultural productivity growth.

Despite the UK ranking third in high-citation academic studies in agriculture, behind China and the USA, this academic prowess has not translated into significant productivity growth or attracted substantial private sector investment in agricultural innovation.

Barsby, reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the UK Agri-Tech Strategy, expressed frustration over its failure to catalyse a significant increase in productivity growth, inward investment, and collaborative models between the government, industry, and science sectors.

Defra has given the green light for growers to use a neonic seed treatment on the 2024 sugar beet crop, but with stricter conditions than previous years.

Syngenta’s Cruiser SB can only be used if there is a danger, as evidenced by an independent prediction, of yellows viruses incidence of 65% or more.

If this threshold is not met, use of the product will not be permitted, the government confirmed. Farming Minister Mark Spencer said the decision to approve the neonic was based on 'robust scientific assessment' and the risks had been 'evaluated very carefully.'

A unique project to develop a commercially viable system for precisely targeting orchard inputs to specific trees, or even parts of a tree, has been given the go-ahead.

The project will use cutting-edge tech to digitally examine fruit trees in fine detail to allow inputs to be targeted in a way that has never been seen before in UK orchards. The ultimate aim of the 4-year study is to reduce the environmental impact of fruit production by using fewer plant protection products, while boosting efficiency.

It will use digital scanning to generate precision dosing maps for blossom and fruit thinning, fertiliser application, growth regulators, pest control, and fungicides, as well as provide more accurate yield forecasting for growers.

University research has revealed how regenerative farming can help soils hold nutrients and water around roots for longer, resulting in greater nutrient availability to crops.

These are the initial findings from a study being conducted at the University of Leeds Farm, aimed at shedding light on the benefits of regenerative cultivation techniques.

The study is comparing soil health, crop production, greenhouse gas emissions, and profit of different farming systems across seven 12x40m plots.

Consumers and food safety groups should get over the ‘yuck factor' and embrace edible insects as part of a more sustainable food system, according to a new report.

The UK Edible Insect Association (UKEIA) study, produced with support from the University of Sheffield's Institute for Sustainable Food, said edible insects are environmentally-friendly sources of protein and could help find solutions to other issues such as tackling climate change.

The research also highlighted that current Food Standards Agency (FSA) Novel Food Regulations impose an extremely high barrier to entry for edible insect companies, potentially restricting the sector's potential to contribute to a more sustainable food system.

A feed additive that reduces methane emissions from cattle, with company claims of average reductions in dairy cows of 30%, has been approved for use in the UK.

Dutch-Swiss human and animal nutrition group DSM-Firmenich has announced it has received regulatory approval for its methane-reducing feed additive, Bovaer.

This is the first authorisation in the UK for a feed additive aimed at cutting methane emissions in cows.

Last year was the UK's second warmest on record, according to provisional data from the Met Office. This puts it just behind 2022, which recorded an average temperature of only 0.06C higher.

For both Wales and Northern Ireland, 2023 was their hottest year on record.

The national weather service said climate change has made the high temperatures "significantly more likely".

The EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) has recently registered a novel pesticide technology for potato crops. This technology involves the use of a biopesticide product called Ledprona, which contains a new active ingredient known as double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA). Ledprona utilizes a natural mechanism called RNA interference (RNAi), which is used by plants and animals to protect against disease.

The main target pest for Ledprona is the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), which is a major threat to potato crops in several states across the United States. The use of Ledprona helps to control CPB by “silencing” the gene responsible for producing a protein essential for the pest’s survival. Importantly, Ledprona does not result in the creation of genetically modified organisms.

The registration of this novel pesticide technology is significant because it offers an alternative to chemical-based pesticides that may pose higher risks to human health or the environment.

Food shortages are “alarmingly likely” in 2024 as climate change, transportation issues and global conflicts continue to affect supplies, a food security expert has said.

New checks will also be introduced on goods coming into the UK from the EU at the end of January, under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), further impacting food imports.

Professor Chris Elliott, of Queen’s University Belfast, said that fruit and vegetables would be particularly affected. It follows shortages of eggs and oil throughout 2023, with supermarkets forced to ration tomatoes and cucumbers due to poor weather in southern Europe in February.