Keeping an eye on technological advancements. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
This week we’re focusing on technology in agriculture. New and developing technologies often stem from novel concepts, and this requires the modernization of existing approaches to risk assessment and regulation.
APHIS Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) works to keep abreast of the latest advances in science and technology as it develops and implements regulations and risk assessment processes to prevent any increase in disease or pest risk that may be associated with plant, animal, and microbial products of genetic engineering.
For example, BRS staff are currently developing and reviewing best practices for risk assessment of gene drive organisms, in the event a gene drive is developed in a plant or plant pest for use in the United States. BRS also works with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, as needed, to coordinate regulation, resolve gaps and areas of ambiguity in the Federal biotechnology regulatory system, and facilitate stakeholder understanding of the regulatory system.
Information provided by USDA APHIS
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Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.