Researchers are hosting a free workshop this week for anyone interested in gene editing across food and farming.

The workshop is at the NAEC, Stoneleigh on day one of CropTec (11.30am to 1.30pm on November 27th). It is the first of such workshops to be held as part of the PROBITY project.

PROBITY – A Platform to Rate Organisms Bred for Improved Traits and Yield – is a three-year £2.2m farmer-led project with 11 research and industry partners. Led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) it is funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme which is delivered by Innovate UK.

Precision-bred crops are created through gene editing – a widely used technology that allows scientists to make precise changes to specific genes in plants, that could have occurred naturally.

As well as trialling precision-bred crops on farms for the first time, the project is also exploring opinions on their adoption – particularly from farmers but also within the wider industry and amongst consumers.

Oxfordshire farmer and founder of BOFIN Tom Allen-Stevens said: “Scientists believe that precision-bred crops can bring gains for productivity and sustainability, but we need to know how farmers and others in the industry feel about their introduction.

“This first workshop will explore the current perceptions and stumbling blocks. Our Sequence Circle online community will then host further discussions and resources going forward.”

The workshop is part of a two-day programme organised by BOFIN to run alongside CropTec at NAEC, Stoneleigh. As well as the workshop day one will also include a session at 10am to introduce the project and officially launch The Sequence Circle.

On day two (November 28th) BOFIN is hosting sessions to share results and insight from their NCS and TRUTH projects. Visitors are invited to sign up to hear what the project’s farmers have learned from their trials exploring the potential of pulses and soil and root health.

For more information and to register for a free place visit www.bofin.org.uk/events