1 Start 2 Complete The UK Government recently published the secondary legislation needed to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023. This will free up the commercial use of new breeding techniques, such as gene editing, to develop improved varieties of crops in England, with the first applications expected to be submitted from autumn 2025. This is a historic moment for plant science, and for farmers and growers in England. It is the first time in more than 30 years that new legislation has been brought forward in this country which seeks to enable, rather than to restrict, the use of genetic innovation in agriculture and horticulture. Niab has strongly supported the passage of this legislation, as it will align our rules with other progressive agricultural economies around the world, including Australia, Canada, Japan, USA, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. We believe it will help accelerate the development of higher-yielding crop varieties with greater climate resilience, more durable pest and disease resistance, and with improved end-use quality and nutritional properties. As the secondary legislation enters Parliament, Niab is keen to send MPs and Peers a clear signal that access to precision breeding techniques is needed to improve prospects for more sustainable and productive farming systems. Please take a few moments to complete the short questionnaire. All responses will be treated in confidence, and presented only in aggregated form. Do you support the objective of the Precision Breeding Act in providing greater access to gene editing in agriculture and horticulture? * Yes No Don't know Would you grow precision bred crops on your farm, if given the choice? * Yes No Don't know Which characteristics would be most important to you? Rank the options below from 1 (most important) to 8 (least important). * Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat)Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet)Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape)Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes)Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR)Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberriesEnhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoesImproved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) 1 * 1 - Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat) 1 - Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet) 1 - Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape) 1 - Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes) 1 - Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR) 1 - Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberries 1 - Enhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoes 1 - Improved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) 2 * 2 - Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat) 2 - Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet) 2 - Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape) 2 - Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes) 2 - Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR) 2 - Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberries 2 - Enhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoes 2 - Improved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) 3 * 3 - Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat) 3 - Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet) 3 - Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape) 3 - Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes) 3 - Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR) 3 - Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberries 3 - Enhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoes 3 - Improved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) 4 * 4 - Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat) 4 - Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet) 4 - Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape) 4 - Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes) 4 - Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR) 4 - Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberries 4 - Enhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoes 4 - Improved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) 5 * 5 - Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat) 5 - Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet) 5 - Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape) 5 - Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes) 5 - Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR) 5 - Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberries 5 - Enhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoes 5 - Improved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) 6 * 6 - Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat) 6 - Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet) 6 - Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape) 6 - Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes) 6 - Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR) 6 - Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberries 6 - Enhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoes 6 - Improved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) 7 * 7 - Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat) 7 - Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet) 7 - Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape) 7 - Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes) 7 - Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR) 7 - Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberries 7 - Enhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoes 7 - Improved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) 8 * 8 - Improved climate resilience (eg drought tolerance in wheat) 8 - Improved disease resistance (eg virus yellows resistance in sugar beet) 8 - Improved pest resistance (eg cabbage stem beetle resistance in oilseed rape) 8 - Increased physical yields (eg bunched rooting structure in baby potatoes) 8 - Ease of management (eg reduced pod-shatter OSR) 8 - Reduced food waste (eg increased shelf life in strawberries 8 - Enhanced nutrition (eg vitamin-enriched tomatoes 8 - Improved food safety (eg low-acrylamide wheat) Which factors do you think are likely to resonate most with consumers? Rank the options below from 1 (most important) to 8 (least important). * Reduced chemical inputsIncreased crop yields sparing land for natureEnhanced nutritionImproved food safetyReduced climate impactFood securityCompetitiveness/profitability of UK farmersCheaper food 1 * 1 - Reduced chemical inputs 1 - Increased crop yields sparing land for nature 1 - Enhanced nutrition 1 - Improved food safety 1 - Reduced climate impact 1 - Food security 1 - Competitiveness/profitability of UK farmers 1 - Cheaper food 2 * 2 - Reduced chemical inputs 2 - Increased crop yields sparing land for nature 2 - Enhanced nutrition 2 - Improved food safety 2 - Reduced climate impact 2 - Food security 2 - Competitiveness/profitability of UK farmers 2 - Cheaper food 3 * 3 - Reduced chemical inputs 3 - Increased crop yields sparing land for nature 3 - Enhanced nutrition 3 - Improved food safety 3 - Reduced climate impact 3 - Food security 3 - Competitiveness/profitability of UK farmers 3 - Cheaper food 4 * 4 - Reduced chemical inputs 4 - Increased crop yields sparing land for nature 4 - Enhanced nutrition 4 - Improved food safety 4 - Reduced climate impact 4 - Food security 4 - Competitiveness/profitability of UK farmers 4 - Cheaper food 5 * 5 - Reduced chemical inputs 5 - Increased crop yields sparing land for nature 5 - Enhanced nutrition 5 - Improved food safety 5 - Reduced climate impact 5 - Food security 5 - Competitiveness/profitability of UK farmers 5 - Cheaper food 6 * 6 - Reduced chemical inputs 6 - Increased crop yields sparing land for nature 6 - Enhanced nutrition 6 - Improved food safety 6 - Reduced climate impact 6 - Food security 6 - Competitiveness/profitability of UK farmers 6 - Cheaper food 7 * 7 - Reduced chemical inputs 7 - Increased crop yields sparing land for nature 7 - Enhanced nutrition 7 - Improved food safety 7 - Reduced climate impact 7 - Food security 7 - Competitiveness/profitability of UK farmers 7 - Cheaper food 8 * 8 - Reduced chemical inputs 8 - Increased crop yields sparing land for nature 8 - Enhanced nutrition 8 - Improved food safety 8 - Reduced climate impact 8 - Food security 8 - Competitiveness/profitability of UK farmers 8 - Cheaper food Thank you for taking the time to complete this short questionnaire. 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