WASHINGTON DC (January 9, 2020) — Today, in recognition of January 2020 as National Biotechnology Month, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a Unified Website for Biotechnology Regulation. The Website streamlines information about the three regulatory agencies charged with overseeing agriculture biotechnology products and is part President Donald J Trump’s Executive Order on Modernizing the Regulatory Framework for Agricultural Biotechnology Products.
“Agricultural biotechnology has been and will continue to be an essential tool in helping America’s farmers and ranchers feed, fuel, and clothe the world,” said US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “From producers to consumers, all Americans deserve a government that delivers science-based, common-sense regulations that foster innovation, conserve resources, and protect public health — especially when it comes to the food supply. The launch of this unified Biotechnology Regulation website is proof of President Trump’s commitment to provide the American people with sensible regulations in a clear and transparent manner.”
“EPA is pleased to be working with our partners at USDA, FDA, and across the federal government to implement President Trump’s Executive Order and launch this new, coordinated website,” said EPA Administrator Wheeler. “This new website will help provide regulatory certainty and clarity to our nation’s farmers and producers by bringing together information on the full suite of actions the Trump Administration is taking to safely reduce unnecessary regulations and breakdown barriers for these biotechnology products in the marketplace.”
“This is a time of unprecedented scientific innovation. Agricultural biotechnology promises to bring dynamic new products to the marketplace,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn MD. “At the FDA, we are committed to fostering flexible, risk-based approaches in this field while upholding our mission of protecting and promoting both human and animal health and animal well-being, for example by reducing their susceptibility to diseases like novel influenzas and resistance to zoonotic or foreign-animal diseases. Our approach balances our internationally-respected, science-based review standards with our ongoing risk-based regulatory approaches to ensure the safety of our food supply.”
Background:
EPA regulates the sale, distribution, use, and testing of pesticides to protect public health and the environment. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, EPA regulates pesticides. Under section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, EPA establishes the amount of pesticide chemical residues that may be present in food. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act and regulations implementing that statute, EPA currently regulates biotechnology products that are new microorganisms not specifically excluded by the statute (generally those regulated by other statutes). EPA is also actively working through the regulatory process to use its existing statutory authority, as appropriate, to exempt low-risk products of agricultural biotechnology from undue regulation to the extent consistent with the law, as directed under President Trump’s Executive Order.
