Currently, New Zealand’s regulations - among the most stringent in the world - mean that GMOs cannot be released out of containment without going through a rigorous process.

The government says the purpose of the new bill, set to be in place by the end of the year, is to enable the safe use of gene technology and regulated organisms in New Zealand, while the intention is to establish a new regulatory regime for gene technology and GMOs .

Among the changes, low-risk gene editing techniques that produce changes indistinguishable from traditional breeding will be exempted from regulation and a new regulator of the industry will be appointed.

In his state of the nation speech this month, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said “enabling gene technology is about backing farmers. It is about embracing growth. It is about saying ‘yes’, instead of ‘no’.”