United States Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, has issued a statement
to provide clarification on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA)
oversight of plants produced through innovative new breeding techniques
which include genome editing.

The statement says that under its biotechnology regulations, USDA does not
regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have been
developed through traditional breeding techniques as long as they are not
plant pests or developed using plant pests. This includes a set of new
techniques that are increasingly being used by plant breeders to produce new
plant varieties that are indistinguishable from those developed through
traditional breeding methods. The newest of these methods, such as genome
editing, expand traditional plant breeding tools because they can introduce
new plant traits more quickly and precisely, potentially saving years or
even decades in bringing needed new varieties to farmers.

Secretary Perdue said, "Plant breeding innovation holds enormous promise for
helping protect crops against drought and diseases while increasing
nutritional value and eliminating allergens. Using this science, farmers can
continue to meet consumer expectations for healthful, affordable food
produced in a manner that consumes fewer natural resources. This new
innovation will help farmers do what we aspire to do at USDA: do right and
feed everyone."

[www.usda.gov]
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