By giving a Chinese rice variety a second copy of one of its own genes, researchers have boosted its yield by up to 40%. The change helps the plant absorb more fertilizer, boosts photosynthesis, and accelerates flowering, all of which could contribute to larger harvests, the group reports today in Science.

The yield gain from a single gene coordinating these multiple effects is “really impressive,” says Matthew Paul, a plant geneticist at Rothamsted Research who was not involved in the work. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like that before.” The approach could be tried in other crops, too, he adds; the new study reports preliminary findings in wheat.

A York MP has called for climate change to be tackled through new technology and science - NOT measures which would harm economic growth and living standards.

York Outer Tory MP Julian Sturdy asked in the Commons if the President of the COP 26 climate change conference, Alok Sharma, agreed “that net zero should be achieved through rolling-out low carbon technology and scientific solutions, such as the gene editing Bill, rather than measures that dampen economic growth and depress living standards?"

Alok Sharma replied that this was “absolutely right. Green technologies and innovations are what is going to help us achieve the net zero target.” He agreed that gene editing, which allows for more food to be produced from crops and animals using fewer resources, was a good example of this.

Some farmers claim the Welsh government should drop its opposition to gene-editing crops to help tackle a looming food crisis.

Legislation is proposed for England to allow gene-edited plants and animals to be grown and raised for food.

There are no similar plans in Wales, and one farmer in Pembrokeshire said the technology could help produce crops that can withstand extreme weather.

England’s future food security has been called into question after losing productive farmland capable of feeding two million people their five a day.

New research by CPRE, the countryside charity, found almost 14,500 hectares of farmland has been permanently lost to development since 2010.

The lost farmland could grow at least 250,000 tonnes of vegetables a year based on typical yields. There was an exponential rise in Best and Most Versatile (BMV) farmland set aside for housing and industry between 2010 and 2022, from 60 hectares to more than 6,000ha per year.

Faced with an urgent need to drive improvements in the productivity, resilience and climate impact of British agriculture, leading plant scientist Professor Jane Langdale CBE FRS, University of Oxford – who led and authored a major review of UK plant science last year – has called on the next Prime Minister to prioritise investment in crop genetic research as the primary driver of productivity gains in agriculture.

Writing on the Science for Sustainable Agriculture website, Professor Langdale asks why, in its plans for R&D funding, the UK Government is spending 20 times more on digital and precision farming projects such as robotic harvesters, AI and sensor technology than it invests in long-term, strategic crop genetic research.

Rural campaigners have accused the BBC of ‘picking the wrong target’ ahead of its internal impartiality review of Countryfile. The broadcaster announced that it has set up a review of the programme, which has been on air since 1988, after some viewers complained it was being "biased and unfair".

But rather than concentrating on Countryfile, the Countryside Alliance said the BBC should focus on programmes such as Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Farming Today.

The EU has moved to block imports of crops grown using neonicotinoids it has banned. Last week, the Commission sent proposed revisions to Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for clothianidin and thiamethoxam to World Trade Organisation (WTO) members, with the aim of limiting their environmental impact in other countries.

The move is a world first, as ordinarily MRLs are set on the basis of good agricultural practice while ensuring consumer health.

Professor emeritus of European agricultural policy at Trinity College Dublin, Alan Matthews, said the EU has ‘thrown a hand grenade into global agri-food trade’ with its plan.

Investing in the health of soils is a key cornerstone to help the UK ensure the future of sustainable food production while meeting green goals, according to a new NFU report.

The union's Foundation of Food report highlights why good soil health is crucial to the UK's farming systems and is essential to food production.

It also explains the benefits that healthy soil deliver in reducing flood risk, supporting wildlife habitats and biodiversity, and the sequestration and storage of carbon.

RePlanet calls on EU to ditch organic targets and for governments to lift bans on genetically modified crops

Governments should put a moratorium on the use of biofuels and lift bans on genetic modification of crops, a green campaigning group has urged, in the face of a growing global food crisis that threatens to engulf developing nations.

Ending the EU’s requirement for biofuels alone would free up about a fifth of the potential wheat exports from Ukraine, and even more of its maize exports, enough to make a noticeable difference to stretched food supplies, according to analysis by the campaign group RePlanet.

In another recommendation likely to be controversial, the report suggests that the EU’s organic targets should also be ditched in favour of conventional and intensive farming techniques to allow for higher productivity.

How natural is our food, and what does ‘natural' mean anyway? Science for Sustainable Agriculture asked this important question to consumers to understand their perception of key issues about the use of science in food and agriculture. The independent survey was designed and conducted by consumer research agency England Marketing Ltd.

According to agricultural economist Graham Brookes, a member of the Science for Sustainable Agriculture advisory group, the study highlights the deficiency in knowledge about the real origin of many common food crops and the transformation they went through to be available in the UK. “This raises questions about the validity of current public discussions around issues such as precision breeding when most consumers appear unaware of the level of scientific intervention which has already gone into the development of our everyday foods,” he added.