A newly released report from a panel of experts convened by the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance underscores the role that agricultural biotechnology can play in addressing the growing global food demand.
The report, based on the collaborative efforts of high-level government officials, farmers, academics, and practitioners in the fields of plant genetics, agricultural sciences, economics, and law, offers recommendations to navigate the path forward.
As the global population is projected to soar to 9.3 billion by 2050 from the current 8.1 billion, the report highlights the nature of agricultural biotech innovations to bolster crop yields. However, it also warns that the complex U.S. regulatory framework could impede progress, with duplicative reviews and excessive costs for innovators.
The report’s recommendations call for streamlining and coordinating redundant regulatory processes currently conducted separately by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The aim is to create a more efficient and transparent regulatory framework to enable innovation in the agricultural biotech sector.
International trade agreements are also recommended to incorporate provisions related to agricultural biotechnology. This step, the report argues, would contribute to greater clarity and uniformity in global regulations, particularly concerning sanitary and phytosanitary trade issues.
Public understanding of the safety and importance of biotechnological advancements, such as gene-edited crops, is also emphasized in the report. Outreach efforts are essential to facilitate further innovation, ensuring that the public is well-informed about the science behind these technologies.
“Convening people who bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to trade policy discussions is core to the Yeutter Institute mission, and that is what we did with this project,” said Jill O’Donnell, Haggart-Work Director of the Yeutter Institute. “It’s important for policymakers to hear from a broad spectrum of voices as they make decisions, and that includes voices representing various aspects of the agriculture industry, as well as those from the Midwest.”
The Yeutter Institute has begun preliminary briefings with Capitol Hill staff in Washington, D.C., about the group’s findings and will share with trade professionals and other interested groups, as well.
