Washington, DC
March 27, 2007
Source:
The Pew Initiative on Food
and Biotechnology (PIFB)
Report examines the unique
regulatory challenges presented by biotech specialty crops at
workshop sponsored by PIFB and the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS)
Biotech specialty crops—fruits and
vegetables, tree nuts and nursery crops— face unique regulatory
challenges, but there are opportunities to improve the
regulatory system to help support this important sector of the
U.S. agricultural economy, according to participants at a recent
workshop, co-sponsored by the Pew Initiative on Food and
Biotechnology and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS).
In January 2007, the Pew Initiative and APHIS co-sponsored a
two-day roundtable discussion to illuminate the challenges
biotech specialty crops encounter with the regulatory system.
Proceedings from that discussion, Emerging Challenges for
Biotech Specialty Crops, are now available on the Pew
Initiative's website.
Highlights include:
Specialty crops form a vital sector of the U.S. economy, yet the
development of biotech varieties with traits that could benefit
farmers, consumers and the environment face particular
regulatory challenges.
Participants noted a number of options that could ease the
regulatory burden including the development of tiered risk
assessments; regulation revisions to increase transparency and
predictability and to reduce the time and resources necessary
for regulatory reviews; and the development of data and
information modules for standardized use with product
applications.
An overview of the conference
agenda and the full paper from the workshop, entitled Emerging
Challenges for Biotech Specialty Crops, can be viewed at:
http://pewagbiotech.org/events/0118/.
Workshop report:
http://pewagbiotech.org/events/0118/WorkshopReport.pdf
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