In 2000 he was also appointed Chair of the UK's Agriculture & Environment Biotechnology Commission (2000–2005), the body set up in parallel with the Food Standards Agency and the Human Genetics Commission, to review regulation and public reception of new technologies including genetic modification. The membership of the AEBC brought together a varied group of individuals with different interests, including Robin Grove-White, then Chair of the Board of Greenpeace UK, and Justine Thornton, subsequently a High Court Judge.
In 2000, he became the chair of the UK's Agriculture & Environment Biotechnology Commission (2000–2005), which worked alongside the Food Standards Agency and the Human Genetics Commission. This commission assessed regulations and public responses to new technologies like genetic modification. The AEBC membership comprised a range of individuals with diverse interests, including Robin Grove-White, who was then Chair of Greenpeace UK's Board, and Justine Thornton, who later became a High Court Judge.