As if it hasn’t already been a big news week, USDA finalized its long-awaited rule on plant biotechnology, and we published a new resource hub to help you understand it. Here’s the scoop.
The news: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the final rule on modernizing plant biotech regulations—officially known as the Sustainable, Ecological, Consistent, Uniform, Responsible, Efficient (SECURE) rule—which USDA says will bring “plant biotechnology regulations into the 21st century by removing duplicative and antiquated processes.”
The rule says two kinds of plants do not require pre-market review: all new plants with crop-trait combos USDA has already approved, and plants with certain enumerated gene edits or with genetic changes that could have occurred through breeding.
And technology developers and plant breeders can self-determine whether they fall into one of the above categories—and if they do, they’re not required to notify the agency before commercializing the plant.
BIO’s take: We’re still reviewing the details, but overall, we support the rule and believe it will accelerate the development of innovations that will improve resiliency and lives globally—especially in a time when the fragility of our food systems has been exposed through COVID-19. But, government and industry still have a lot of work to do to build an informed and trust-based dialogue about biotech in food and agriculture and its potential to help the planet, our food system, and human health.
Dana’s Dialogue: Innovation flourishes when science and consumer values are aligned and complement one another. The U.S. government’s regulatory approach cannot exist in isolation. It should be supported by credible transparency measures. BIO understands that consumers want more information about what is in their food and whether their food is safe. Our members will be a driver of that endeavor. – Dana O’Brien, EVP of BIO’s Food and Agriculture Section
Read Dana’s Q&A about the rule.
And learn more about the new rule and how biotech can make food more plentiful, nutritious, and sustainable at our resource hub at www.bio.org/growing-trust-innovation.
Read more about BIO's Inclusive and Impactful Approach to Transparency.
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