WILL BRITAIN TAKE THE LEAD AWAY FROM AMERICA ON GENE EDITING?
Britain has an opportunity to seize on the latest breakthroughs in gene (or DNA) editing and pioneer new approaches in agriculture, research and medicine.
We Brits are well placed to be bold but responsible gene editors. Bolder than continental countries, looking over their shoulder to the disapproving Roman Catholic church; more responsible than China, where decisions on such matters are taken by officials with little consultation with the public; and without the divisive culture battles over moral and legal issues that so often divide the United States on matters of biology.
Twenty years ago, America was relaxed about genetic modification, whereas Britain was easily panicked by the green movement into nonsensical fears of “Frankenstein foods”. Today, it is the other way around.
Hotted up by green campaigners who are aware of “climate fatigue” among their donors, Americans are increasingly torn over GMOs, despite decades of safe and environmentally beneficial experience of growing of them. Here In Britain, we’re past that,











