Hill Leaders Urge Support for Reg System that Supports Ag Innovation

In the letter sent today to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, a bipartisan group of Capitol Hill leaders urge agencies responsible for regulating biotechnology to coordinate and advance innovation-inducing policies and strategies, domestically and internationally, through the President’s Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity.

“Advances in agricultural biotechnology provide enormous potential to address some of society’s most difficult challenges. Biotechnology and emerging technologies such as gene editing can enhance environmental stewardship, help manage pests and diseases like Zika and citrus greening, and aid in the reduction of hunger, food waste, and nutritional insufficiencies,” the letter says.

“We applaud these Members of Congress – and especially Representatives Dunn and Panetta – for supporting agricultural innovation and shining light on opportunities to drive consistent science- and risk-based regulatory approaches for biotechnology and other biology-based tools, like gene editing,” said Dana O’Brien, Executive Vice President for Food & Agriculture, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).

“This letter shows there is strong bipartisan support for managing tough societal challenges with innovative biology-based solutions. Society will only be able to fully benefit from these solutions if an environment exists to drive investment and product development. We look forward to working with the Administration, the Congress, and our food value chain partners as this regulatory modernization conversation advances,” said O’Brien.