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Biotech Industry Showcases Stewardship Through ETS Program

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As the BIO 2008 International Convention gets underway in San Diego this week, the Excellence Through StewardshipSM (ETS) program takes a giant leap forward as the program is incorporated and begins operation as a separate Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) affiliate.</p>

San Diego, CA (June 17, 2008) – As the BIO 2008 International Convention gets underway in San Diego this week, the Excellence Through StewardshipSM (ETS) program takes a giant leap forward as the program is incorporated and begins operation as a separate Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) affiliate. Launched in July of last year, ETS is the first industry-coordinated effort developed to meet product stewardship objectives and to provide a strong quality management program for the full life cycle of biotech plants and plant products.

On June 16, the BIO Board of Directors finalized approval of the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws for the ETS program. Also on June 16, the ETS Board of Directors were named. They are:

Jane Stautz, Esq., Chair, Dow AgroSciences, LLC - Indianapolis, Ind.
Judith Rylott, Vice Chair, Bayer CropScience LP - Cambridge, England
Lisa Murphy, Treasurer, Biotechnology Industry Organization - Washington, D.C.
Neal Gutterson, Secretary, Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. - Hayward, Cal.
Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, Biotechnology Industry Organization - Washington, D.C.
Tom DiLenge, Biotechnology Industry Organization - Washington, D.C.
Jerry Flint, Monsanto Company - St. Louis, Mo.
Rick Keon, SemBioSys Genetics, Inc. - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
James Mann, Ph.D., ArborGen, LLC - Summerville, S.C.
Peter Mascia, Ph.D., Ceres, Inc. - Thousand Oaks, Cal.
David McElroy, Ph.D., Targeted Growth, Inc - Seattle, Wash.
David Nevill, Syngenta Seeds, Inc. - Research Triangle Park, N.C.
Andrew Reed, BASF Plant Science Holding GmbH - Research Triangle Park, N.C.
Greg Wandrey, Ph.D., Pioneer Hi-Bred/DuPont - Johnston, Iowa

"A strong federal regulatory system already oversees plant biotechnology,” says Jane Stautz, Chair of the ETS Board of Directors. “But leaders within the ever-growing biotechnology industry feel that stewardship is an essential element in a partnership between government and the private sector".

ETS comprises three main components:

  • Objectives, Principles and Management Practices for ETS.
  • Guides for BIO member companies and others involved in agricultural biotechnology research and development to use in understanding and implementing their own stewardship and quality management practices. These provide guidance on how to develop and implement an appropriate quality management system (from discovery through commercialization and post-market activities). While these are in a ready-to-use format, which makes it easy to adapt to specific activities and operations, it is a flexible program that companies can adapt to their own quality management practices and standard operating procedures.

    The Quality Management for Plant Product Integrity guide is now available for download on the ETS website at www.ExcellenceThroughStewardship.org.
  • An independent, third-party Stewardship Audit Program designed to verify implementation of stewardship programs and quality management systems and to confirm compliance with principles and management practices.

"Through the guidance offered in the ETS program, industry groups are able to not only better comply with science-based regulations, but to also demonstrate responsible management and accountability with the added benefit of enhancing stakeholder and consumer confidence," says Stautz.

Many companies already have quality management programs in place. But the ETS program is the first industry-coordinated effort to adopt and promote stewardship within the growing plant biotechnology sector.

"We are proud of our Excellence Through StewardshipSM initiative and excited that the program is moving forward with many of our Food and Agriculture member companies ready to adopt these stewardship principles,” says BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood. “ETS helps reinforce our commitment to enhancing stewardship and quality management."

For more information about the Excellence Through StewardshipSM program, visit www.ExcellenceThroughStewardship.org.

 

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

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