{ "id": "RL32809", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL32809", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 443386, "date": "2015-07-28", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T18:43:26.751474", "title": "Agricultural Biotechnology: Background, Regulation, and Policy Issues", "summary": "Biotechnology refers primarily to the use of recombinant DNA techniques to genetically modify or bioengineer plants and animals. Most crops developed through recombinant DNA technology have been engineered to be tolerant of various herbicides or to be pest resistant through having a pesticide genetically engineered into the plant organism. U.S. soybean, cotton, and corn farmers have rapidly adopted genetically engineered (GE) varieties of these crops since their commercialization in the mid-1990s. Over the past 15 years, GE varieties in the United States have increased from 3.6 million planted acres to 173 million acres in 2013. Worldwide, 27 countries planted GE crops on approximately 433 million acres in 2013. GE varieties now dominate soybean, cotton, and corn production in the United States, and they continue to expand rapidly in other countries, particularly in Latin America.\nOngoing policy issues include the impacts of GE crops on the environment (e.g., pest and weed resistance), whether GE foods should be labeled, their potential contamination of conventionally raised and organic plants, and issues of liability. Underlying these issues are concerns about the adequacy of federal regulation and oversight of GE organisms, particularly as newer applications (e.g., biopharmaceuticals, multiple GE traits in single organisms, GE trees, GE insects) emerge that did not exist when the current regulatory regime was established in 1986. The FDA is currently considering approval of the first GE animal for human consumption, a salmon engineered to grow to market size in half the normal time. Global trade issues involving GE organisms are a long-standing issue and are particularly salient in current U.S.-EU trade discussions on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP). \nIn the United States, agricultural biotechnology is regulated under the 1986 Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology. Three federal agencies\u2014the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)\u2014share regulatory responsibilities. Regulatory non-compliance incidents and issues associated with environmental effects of GE plants have repeatedly raised concerns about the adequacy of existing U.S. regulatory structures. Questions have also arisen about the adequacy of USDA\u2019s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service\u2019s (APHIS\u2019s) environmental assessments for deregulating GE plants. \nIn July 2015, the Administration announced in a memorandum to agency heads a review and update of the Coordinated Framework to ensure the capacity of the regulatory structure to address any future biotechnology risks. This is the first comprehensive review of the Coordinated Framework in nearly 30 years.\nThe 114th Congress passed a bill, H.R. 1599, to preempt various state laws that have been recently passed in Maine, Vermont, and Connecticut to require mandatory labeling of GE foods. While preserving current jurisdiction and regulatory authority of FDA and APHIS, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, as passed by the full House on July 23, 2015, would preempt any state authority over GE labeling in favor of a voluntary National Genetically Engineered Food Certification Program under the federal Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946. The certification program would establish national standards for labeling both GE and non-GE foods. A consultative process under FDA for the introduction of GE foods would continue, and a new notification system for GE plants used in food would be established. \nThree bills have been introduced that would require labeling of GE products. One would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require labeling of GE fish (H.R. 393), and a separate bill would require labeling of all GE foods (H.R. 913/S. 511). A third bill, the Genetically Engineered Salmon Risk Reduction Act (S. 738), would require labeling of GE salmon and further require an environmental impact statement and risk analysis by the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere of the Department of Commerce.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32809", "sha1": "b9583c6ba4f19e617ec8f8154d50523e2147a9f3", "filename": "files/20150728_RL32809_b9583c6ba4f19e617ec8f8154d50523e2147a9f3.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32809", "sha1": "855750172041540e914df83eed45624b6fe96312", "filename": "files/20150728_RL32809_855750172041540e914df83eed45624b6fe96312.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 217, "name": "Agricultural Trade" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc743472/", "id": "RL32809_2015Jul20", "date": "2015-07-20", "retrieved": "2015-10-20T21:35:54", "title": "Agricultural Biotechnology: Background, Regulation, and Policy Issues", "summary": "This report discusses on going issues regarding biotechnology, which refers primarily to the use of recombinant DNA techniques to genetically modify or bioengineer plants and animals. Ongoing policy issues include the impacts of genetially engineered (GE) crops on the environment (e.g., pest and weed resistance), whether GE foods should be labeled, their potential contamination of conventionally raised and organic plants, and issues of liability.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20150720_RL32809_e4c1dec6c4c51de14b8315e0ccc8b2bb9df05b85.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20150720_RL32809_e4c1dec6c4c51de14b8315e0ccc8b2bb9df05b85.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Biotechnology", "name": "Biotechnology" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agricultural biotechnology", "name": "Agricultural biotechnology" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Genetic engineering", "name": "Genetic engineering" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Transgenic plants", "name": "Transgenic plants" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc822653/", "id": "RL32809_2013Apr03", "date": "2013-04-03", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Agricultural Biotechnology: Background, Regulation, and Policy Issues", "summary": "This report discusses on going issues regarding biotechnology, which refers primarily to the use of recombinant DNA techniques to genetically modify or bioengineer plants and animals. Ongoing policy issues include the impacts of genetially engineered (GE) crops on the environment (e.g., pest and weed resistance), whether GE foods should be labeled, their potential contamination of conventionally raised and organic plants, and issues of liability.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20130403_RL32809_e7167a48622a7e4cc3c06a7c183f461033f6ee9e.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20130403_RL32809_e7167a48622a7e4cc3c06a7c183f461033f6ee9e.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agricultural biotechnology", "name": "Agricultural biotechnology" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Biotechnology", "name": "Biotechnology" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Genetic engineering", "name": "Genetic engineering" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Transgenic plants", "name": "Transgenic plants" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc819764/", "id": "RL32809_2011Jun18", "date": "2011-06-18", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Agricultural Biotechnology: Background and Recent Issues", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20110618_RL32809_dc3b9038cfd9c815d3ae867435d53e1c6ca6ff67.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20110618_RL32809_dc3b9038cfd9c815d3ae867435d53e1c6ca6ff67.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc821351/", "id": "RL32809_2010Sep02", "date": "2010-09-02", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Agricultural Biotechnology: Background and Recent Issues", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20100902_RL32809_1e9995e66e0a1403f3a0ef38315c9bf0bcd504c3.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20100902_RL32809_1e9995e66e0a1403f3a0ef38315c9bf0bcd504c3.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc87293/", "id": "RL32809_2009Feb13", "date": "2009-02-13", "retrieved": "2012-07-03T07:51:21", "title": "Agriculture Biotechnology: Background and Recent Issues", "summary": "This report discusses issues regarding the impacts of GE crops on the environment and food safety, and whether GE foods should be specially labeled. Underlying these issues is the question of whether U.S. regulation and oversight of biotechnology\u2014with responsibilities spread primarily among the U.S.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20090213_RL32809_0162355455654a624a7bcce6b8f0c3ea6c44402b.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20090213_RL32809_0162355455654a624a7bcce6b8f0c3ea6c44402b.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Environmental protection", "name": "Environmental protection" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agricultural pollution", "name": "Agricultural pollution" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agricultural chemicals", "name": "Agricultural chemicals" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9392/", "id": "RL32809 2006-09-05", "date": "2006-09-05", "retrieved": "2006-12-05T11:01:00", "title": "Agricultural Biotechnology: Background and Recent Issues", "summary": "Since the first genetically engineered (GE) crops (also called GM [genetically modified] crops, or GMOs, genetically modified organisms) became commercially available in the mid-1990s, U.S. soybean, cotton, and corn farmers have rapidly adopted them. As adoption has spread, there have been policy debates over the costs\r\nand benefits of GE products. Issues include the impacts of GE crops on the environment and food safety, and whether GE foods should be specially labeled. Congress generally has been supportive of GE agricultural products, although some Members have expressed wariness about their adoption and regulation. The 109th Congress will likely continue to follow trade developments, particularly the\r\nU.S.-EU dispute, as well as U.S. regulatory mechanisms for approving biotech foods.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060905_RL32809_4b742fef0ea6a29ce536da820c36d7b1040d0f6d.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060905_RL32809_4b742fef0ea6a29ce536da820c36d7b1040d0f6d.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture", "name": "Agriculture" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Food labeling", "name": "Food labeling" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Transgenic plants", "name": "Transgenic plants" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agricultural biotechnology", "name": "Agricultural biotechnology" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Food", "name": "Food" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Science policy", "name": "Science policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Natural resources", "name": "Natural resources" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9096/", "id": "RL32809 2005-03-07", "date": "2005-03-07", "retrieved": "2006-08-10T14:37:42", "title": "Agricultural Biotechnology: Background and Recent Issues", "summary": "Since the first genetically engineered (GE) crops (also called GM [genetically modified] crops, or GMOs, genetically modified organisms) became commercially available in the mid-1990s, U.S. soybean, cotton, and corn farmers have rapidly adopted them. As adoption has spread, there have been policy debates over the costs\r\nand benefits of GE products. Issues include the impacts of GE crops on the environment and food safety, and whether GE foods should be specially labeled. Congress generally has been supportive of GE agricultural products, although some Members have expressed wariness about their adoption and regulation. The 109th Congress will likely continue to follow trade developments, particularly the\r\nU.S.-EU dispute, as well as U.S. regulatory mechanisms for approving biotech foods.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050307_RL32809_15de1be6316ebdcee40563fa7d885eca0343b825.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050307_RL32809_15de1be6316ebdcee40563fa7d885eca0343b825.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture", "name": "Agriculture" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Nutrition policy", "name": "Nutrition policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agricultural biotechnology", "name": "Agricultural biotechnology" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Agriculture in foreign trade", "name": "Agriculture in foreign trade" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Food", "name": "Food" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Agricultural Policy", "Environmental Policy", "Science and Technology Policy" ] }