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Genetically engineered crops need more oversight
Posted by: Prof. Dr. M. Raupp (IP Logged)
Date: March 28, 2007 05:18PM

www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

Genetically engineered crops are back in the headlines, for all the wrong
reasons:
- Twice in the past six months, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced
that rice planted in the United States (and then exported to our trading
partners) contained small amounts of an unapproved genetically engineered
rice variety.
- Last month, two federal judges admonished the USDA for not adequately
evaluating the potential impacts of genetically engineered alfalfa and
creeping bentgrass.
March 2007 by Gregory Jaffe.

Also last month, USDA announced that it is poised to issue a permit this
spring to grow rice varieties in Kansas engineered to produce drugs from
three different human proteins.

Though the illegal engineered rice varieties found in conventional rice are
unlikely to be harmful to humans or the environment, those contamination
cases feed doubts in many consumers' minds, if not industry's, about the
desirability of agricultural biotechnology. Once again, the international
debate quickly moved to how to deal with risks from genetically engineered
crops rather than how to take advantage of their benefits.

Genetically engineered crops have been widely adopted by farmers because of
their substantial benefits. In 2006, some 10 million farmers grew 220
million acres of genetically engineered crops in 22 countries. In the United
States, 61 percent of corn, 89 percent of soybeans and 80 percent of upland
cotton planted were genetically engineered varieties. Some of those crops
have eliminated millions of pounds of insecticides, improving the
environment and the health of agricultural workers and increasing farmer
income. Others have increased such environmentally friendly agricultural
practices as no-till farming.

Farmers around the world clearly want to grow safe genetically engineered
crops, but mishaps erode consumers' trust and close markets. In 2005,
incidents similar to the rice contamination occurred with an experimental
genetically engineered corn plant, and five years ago, taco shells and
numerous food products were recalled after becoming contaminated with
StarLink corn, a genetically engineered crop not approved for consumption as
a result of potential allergenicity.

Companies brag about stewardship, but their actions demonstrate that they
regularly ignore government-imposed conditions designed to safeguard our
food and the environment and promote confidence in the products. Aided
mightily by corporate mistakes and arrogance in Europe, forces opposing
genetically engineered crops have struck fear in the public's mind about
safe foods and have won passage of overly restrictive laws.

Making matters worse, the U.S. regulatory system is not performing the
rigorous and independent oversight that the public deserves. Inspections to
determine compliance with regulations are rare, and when a violation is
identified, the government's knee-jerk response is to give the violator a
"get out of jail free" card.

A few sensible measures would improve oversight. The Food and Drug
Administration must affirmatively ensure that foods made from genetically
engineered crops are safe. The FDA oversees a weak, voluntary consultation
process allowing companies to market crops without any formal approval. When
genetically engineered rice found its way to our table this past fall, no
FDA law had been broken.

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., is seeking to solve that problem through
legislation mandating an FDA safety determination before marketing a
genetically engineered crop, similar to what is done in Europe and Canada.

USDA must stop being the biotechnology industry's cheerleader and become a
tough regulator. It must set and enforce strict conditions to ensure that
experimental genetically engineered crops - particularly those producing
drugs or industrial chemicals - don't persist in the environment or end up
in our food. Regular inspections and testing should be conducted to
determine the industry's compliance and the effectiveness of industry
practices.

Strengthening government oversight will not end attacks on biotechnology,
but it would help assure safety, prevent harmful mistakes and engender
greater public confidence. Only then can the international debate focus on
how best to harness this powerful technology to promote the public good.

[desmoinesregister.com]



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