Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the United Kingdom: A Proposal for Moderate GMO Regulations Post-Brexit, and an Opportunity in Genetically Modified Wheat

Abstract

The use of GMOs is a contentious topic internationally, with the stringency of regulations varying widely between countries. While the United States has chosen to adopt permissive regulations, the EU in contrast has enacted some of the strictest regulations in the world. The current EU GMO regulations have not authorized a GM product since 2001. With the passage of the referendum authorizing the British exit from the EU, the UK has the chance to create more permissive regulations than those it was previously required to adopt due to membership in the EU. While the UK should not deregulate its existing framework to the permissiveness of the US,it should adopt more moderate rules than the EU. The moderate rules would allow the UK to take advantage of the growing GM crop market—and in particular the newly emerging GM wheat market—without compromising the safety of its citizens. More specifically, these moderate regulations call for an expanding of the evidentiary threshold for the precautionary rule, maintenance of labeling requirements, and the creation of a public awareness campaign to increase public knowledge about GMOs.