How Biotech Crops are Evaluated for Environmental Safety in the United States

First generation biotech crops (herbicide and insect resistant plants) have been in commercial use since 1995 in the United States. Farmers are adopting this technology readily because of two primary reasons: (1) it simplifies weed or insect management in their agricultural production systems, and (2) the economic benefits outweigh the costs. A common concern with the release of any biotechnology derived product is the effects it could have on the environment. In the previous chapter titled, “Is this Stuff Safe to Eat?,” the regulatory agency we focused on was the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration). When deciding whether or not a genetically engineered product is safe for the environment, the primary regulating agencies involved are the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). All three agencies (USDA, FDA, and EPA) overlap in their responsibilities, but each also has unique duties. The Roles of the USDA and the EPA In the United States, when determining if a food crop is safe enough to be grown in the environment the USDA and EPA are the most involved agencies. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) The USDA is a regulatory agency that monitors and regulates the use of biotechnology for agricultural purposes. They have the responsibility of reviewing data generated from field trials to determine whether a product or crop would have the potential to become a plant pest or cause any detrimental effects on the environment. Genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant crops are included in this because they do not actually produce a pesticide, which would be the responsibility of the EPA (discussed below). Instead, herbicide-tolerant crops are engineered to produce a protein which are resistant to a specific herbicide sprayed on them. An example of this is glyphosate-tolerant soybean, corn, and canola. The USDA is comprised of several agencies that are all designed to advise different groups to meet their specific needs. An example is the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIS). The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency regulates the movement, importation, and field testing of genetically engineered organisms through permitting and notification procedures. APHIS also is responsible for inspecting veterinary biologics production. A few other agencies included within the USDA are the Forest Service, Risk Management Agency, and Agricultural Research Service. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The EPA’s mission is to protect the quality and health of the environment. In terms of protecting the environment from biotechnology products, their main focus is on the regulation of pest management products. There are three categories of pesticides the EPA reviews for registration. The three pesticide categories are antimicrobials, biopesticides, and conventional pesticides. Before a pesticide can be used, it has to be approved by the EPA to ensure that is it not harmful to humans or the environment. For this article, we will focus on the EPA’s role in regulating biopesticides, specifically Plant-Incorporated Protectants (PIPs). Biopesticides consist of biochemical pesticides, microbial pesticides, and PIPs. Plant-Incorporated Protectants are pesticidal substances produced by plants containing added genetic material. When regulating PIPs, the EPA regulates the new protein and its genetic material, not the plant itself. Regulation Biotech crops go through rigorous testing for several years before they are ever put on a farmer’s field. In the U.S., there are nine steps in the regulatory process that usually take seven to ten years to complete, which is far more rigorous of a process than any conventionally derived food ever goes through. The USDA/APHIS is responsible for ensuring that any released organisms are safe and will not pose any negative effects on the environment, whereas the EPA evaluates the safety of transgenic plants containing PIPs. They consider where and how the protein is produced in the plant and its potential to be toxic to humans and other organisms. "Source":[ http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/environment.shtml].

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