Plant Varieties and Seeds Framework for Precision Bred Plant Varieties

Overview

Precision breeding technologies are modern tools for plant breeding that can develop new beneficial traits more efficiently and precisely than traditional breeding.

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, establishes a new class of regulated products: Precision Bred Organisms. These include plants that contain genetic changes made by precision breeding technologies, which could also have arisen by traditional breeding processes. The Act provides powers to amend legislation that applies to the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in England, and to enable precision bred plants to be regulated differently from GMOs.

For the main agricultural and vegetable plant varieties, including amenity grasses, a variety must be registered on the Great Britain (GB), or Northern Ireland (NI) variety lists before seed can be marketed. To implement the Precision Breeding Act, a new framework for evaluating and registering precision bred agricultural and vegetable plant varieties in England is required. As part of this framework a Precision Bred Plant Variety List for England is proposed in addition to the existing variety lists to facilitate the marketing of seed of precision bred plant varieties.

We want to ensure that there is accessible information on precision bred plant varieties available to those that require it, for example, farmers who wish to grow non-precision bred varieties only. We are exploring a variety of methods and tools to communicate information on the precision bred status of plant varieties that do not require legislative changes, such as industry-led precision breeding plant variety registers, existing industry lists of recommended varieties, and the official Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette. We are also interested in exploring the mandatory inclusion of precision bred status in labels for precision bred seed and other plant reproductive material and understanding what impact this would have on businesses.

Why your views matter

This consultation seeks feedback on the proposed Plant Varieties and Seeds framework for precision bred plant varieties in England, including the proposed Precision Bred Plant Variety List for England, and the provision of information on precision bred seed and other plant reproductive material.

We want to understand how the variety listing of precision bred varieties of agricultural and vegetable plant varieties in England will impact businesses and other organisations.  We also want to know what information on precision bred seeds and other plant reproductive material businesses and other organisations would find beneficial, and what impact the mandatory inclusion of precision bred status on labels for precision bred seeds and other plant reproductive material would have.  The responses we receive will help to inform and shape the policy on variety listing in England and the provision of information on precision bred seed and other plant reproductive material.

This consultation will be of most interest to:

• the plant breeding industry 
• seed merchants and processors
• growers and farmers 
• research institutes 
• membership bodies and other organisations representing plant breeders and growers.

How to respond 

Please read the consultation document for more detail on the proposals before you share your views with us. The consultation document is available to view and download at the bottom of this page.

Please read our privacy notice which sets out our consultation principles and explains how we use your data.

You can respond to this consultation using the online survey below. 

If you are unable to use Citizen Space, you can download the consultation documents and return your response via email to Defra-Plant-Varieties-and-Seeds@defra.gov.uk.

The consultation will run for eight weeks. The consultation opened on 17 February 2025 and closes at 23:59 on 14 April 2025.  Any responses received after this date will not be analysed.