Tim Lamyman is doing what he does best – setting new world records. This time it is a record-yielding oilseed rape crop of 7.52t/ha helped by late drilling and an early foliar feed.

The new world record is nearly three times the UK national 2024 average yield and was produced from a 2m-plus tall crop with an unbroken thick canopy high on the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Prof Lord Trees, a veterinarian and vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture, has renewed his call for the UK government to bring forward rules under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 to allow the use of gene editing in farmed animals.

This, he said, could help mitigate the risk of bird flu spiralling out of control and causing another zoonotic pandemic in the human population. Leading virologists at the Global Virus Network (GVN) previously called on governments worldwide to address the rising threat of H5N1 avian influenza, and to prepare for potential human-to-human transmission.

UK research using gene-editing techniques to develop bird flu resistant chickens is ahead of the curve internationally, Prof Trees said, highlighting that it may offer a route to break the cycle of H5N1 transmission.

Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland (SBF GB&I) has made an investment of £920,000 over the next five years to enhance the resilience of blackcurrant varieties through a collaboration with the James Hutton Institute.

This initiative aims to address the challenges posed by climate change and improve the sustainability of blackcurrant production for its flagship Ribena brand.

The investment comes in response to recent extreme weather conditions in the UK, including the driest and sunniest spring on record, which has led to early harvests and highlighted the urgent need for crop varieties that can withstand environmental stress.

Import dependency could increase the impact of climate change on food inflation, with extreme weather driving up UK prices and increasing poverty partly due to its reliance on food from abroad.

A new report from think tank the Autonomy Institute ‘On the Horizon: Climate Induced Inflation and the Price of Food' suggested ‘climateflation' could drive food prices up by 34% by 2050.

Import dependency makes the UK highly vulnerable to climate shocks abroad, especially from Europe and Brazil. The report suggested to mitigate the risks of climateflation, it was imperative that the UK diversifies its food sources and boosts long-term domestic agricultural production.

Researchers at Cranfield University have launched a ground-breaking project to dramatically speed up genetic engineering in crops, focusing initially on the tomato plant.

The initiative aims to replace the slow, labour-intensive process of tissue culture with innovative techniques that directly modify seeds and pollen—potentially slashing the time it takes to develop improved, resilient crops.

British agriculture’s environmental performance is frequently exposed to damaging criticism and misinformation.

But the AHDB Environmental Baselining project has set out to change that.

It aims to provide the industry with accurate information to counter its critics and to enable farmers to take a data-led approach towards a more sustainable future.

The UK’s fresh food supply is under growing threat, with a new report warning that nearly half of all imported fruit and vegetables could face severe climate-related risks by mid-century.

The report, released by sustainability consultancy Aethr Associates in collaboration with the Fresh Produce Consortium, highlights the UK’s heavy reliance on international food imports — a vulnerability in the face of extreme weather.

In 2024, the UK imported 47% of its vegetables and 84% of its fruit, with much of it coming from climate-exposed regions.

Blight-busting tech is on the horizon as Welsh scientists develop a ground-breaking mobile app to detect deadly potato disease before it strikes.

The technology seeks to revolutionise disease detection in potato crops by delivering real-time, location-specific forecasts directly to farmers’ smartphones.

The aim is to combat potato blight—a disease responsible for 20% of global crop losses and costing the global economy £3.5 billion annually.

Several leading organisations across the EU agri-food and feed value chain are urging policymakers to finalise negotiations on the future regulation of new genomic techniques (NGTs), calling it a critical step toward ensuring innovation and resilience in European agriculture.

Progress on the file has accelerated under the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union, which led what stakeholders described as “intense and fruitful discussions.” While some points of contention remain, industry groups are pushing for a “proportionate compromise” that will unlock the potential of NGTs across the food and feed sectors.

In a joint statement, signatories said that in light of growing challenges related to climate change, sustainability and food security, Europe urgently needs a science-based and fit-for-purpose legal framework to govern NGT plants and products. They argued that such a framework is key to strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of EU agriculture and supply chains.

The global adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops — commonly known as transgenics — continues to rise, driven by advances in crop technology and increasing regulatory approval. South America saw the highest growth in GM crop area with a 3.5% increase, followed by North America at 1.1%.

The United States remains the global leader, cultivating 75.4 million hectares of GM crops, up 1.3% from the previous year. Brazil follows with 67.9 million hectares (+1.4%), while Argentina experienced significant growth of 8.3%, reaching 23.8 million hectares.