Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The U.S. Context forGMCrops and Foods
Among developed nations, the United States is the leading proponent
and most permissive regulator of GM crops and foods. Congress has
generously supported scientific research on crop genetics and applica-
tions of genetic engineering to agriculture, but refrained from legislat-
ing new requirements to deal with adverse consequences. The executive
branch, led by the President's Office, has promoted the commercial-
ization and export of GM seeds, crops, and foods, and discouraged
regulation that would treat these products differently than their con-
ventional, non-GM counterparts. The regulatory agencies, which are
subject to presidential direction, have acted accordingly by lessening test
requirements, creating regulatory exemptions, and approving commer-
cialization despite scientific uncertainties about risks to public health and
the environment. They have steadfastly resisted petitions for more strin-
gent safety reviews and precautionary policies, and rejected proposals for
labeling GM products that would enable informed choice by consumers.
Federal courts of the judicial branch of government, which are autho-
rized to review the factual and legal bases for regulatory decisions
that have been challenged, have upheld agency decisions that favor the
advance of GM agriculture. Other units of government have also con-
tributed to the advance of GM agriculture, such as the Patent Office,
which has expansively interpreted its rules and granted patents for an
endless variety of GM crops, and trade negotiators who have sought to
eliminate any barriers in other countries to the importation of American-
made GM products.
As a result, the United States provides a very fertile context for
the advance of GM agriculture and foods. Its MNCs, led by Mon-
santo, DuPont, Dow, and other giants of the chemical industry, have
acquired biotechnology research firms and all major seed companies in
the United States to expedite development and distribution of new vari-
eties of GM seed, and use their substantial resources to aggressively sell
these products at home and abroad. Large, industrial-scale agricultural
