The UK's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has approved the first European trial of growing gene-edited (GE) crops in a field on private land outside London. The trials skirt restrictions on genetically modified crops because they contain no foreign DNA. The trial is the first of a two-phase project aimed at combining the GE crop with a genetically modified version to produce a Camelina containing "supercharged" amounts of Omega 3 oils. Critics accuse Defra of "handing out a free pass" to experimental crops. The European Court of Justice is to rule soon on whether GE plants can be regarded legally the same as traditional crops.
The UK's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has approved the first European trial of growing gene-edited (GE) Camelina oilseed crops. The trials skirt restrictions on genetically modified crops because they contain no foreign DNA. The trial is the first of a two-phase project aimed at combining the GE crop with a genetically modified version to produce a Camelina containing "supercharged" amounts of Omega 3 oils. Critics accuse Defra of "handing out a free pass" to experimental crops. The European Court of Justice is to rule soon on whether GE plants can be regarded legally the same as traditional crops.