Washington, DC
April 8, 2003

Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman today announced appointments to the new Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture. Appointees will serve one- or two-year terms, and may be reappointed to serve up to six consecutive years.

"This committee will take a forward look at agriculture biotechnology and will serve as an important resource as USDA addresses emerging issues related to this field," said Veneman. "I am pleased that these individuals have agreed to provide their time and expertise to serve on this committee."

The committee is charged with examining the long-term impacts of biotechnology on the U.S. food and agriculture system and providing guidance to USDA on pressing individual issues related to the application of biotechnology in agriculture.

The Committee is composed of 18 members from 14 states, the District of Columbia and Mexico. The members represent the biotechnology industry, the seed industry, farmers, environmental and consumer organizations, academia and international plant research centers, the food industry, product shippers and traders. The appointments will be published in the Federal Register in the coming week.

Patricia A. Layton, Professor, Department of Forest Resources, Clemson University, South Carolina will serve as Chair of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture.

     The other members of the Committee are:

• Daryl D. Buss, Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, at Madison, Wisconsin;

• Leon C. Corzine, Farmer, and Chairman, Biotechnology Working Group, National Corn Growers Association, in Illinois;

• Carole Cramer, Professor, Virginia Tech, and Chief Scientific Officer, CropTech Corporation, in Virginia;

• Richard T. Crowder, Chief Executive Officer, American Seed Trade Association, in Virginia;

• Michael D. Dykes, Vice President, Government Affairs, Monsanto Company, in Washington, D.C.;

• Juan C. Enriquez-Cabot, Director, Life Sciences Project, Harvard Business School, in Massachusetts;

• Randal W. Giroux, Staff Scientist, Cargill, Inc., in Minnesota;

• Duane Grant, Farmer and Member, National Association of Wheat Growers and U.S. Wheat Inc. Biotechnology Committee, in Idaho;

• David A. Hoisington, Director, Applied Biotechnology Center and Bioinformatics, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in Mexico City, Mexico;

• Gregory A. Jaffe, Co-Director, Biotechnology Project, Center for Science in the Public Interest, in Washington, D.C.;

• David C. Magnus, Assistant Professor, Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania, in Pennsylvania;

• Terry L. Medley, Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs, DuPont Agriculture and Nutrition, in Delaware;

• Margaret G. Mellon, Director, Food and Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, in Washington, D.C;

• Ronald D. Olson, Vice President, Grain Operations, General Mills, in Minnesota;

• Jerome B. Slocum, Farmer and General Manager, North Mississippi Grain Company, in Mississippi;

• Keith C. Triebwasser, Manager, Product Safety and Regulatory Affairs, The Procter and Gamble Company, in Ohio;

• Lisa W. Zannoni, Head, Global Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, BASF Plant Science, in New Jersey.