Page 45 - Breeding Edge ebook
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One area that is of particular interest encompasses what are known as the Part 340 regulations, which
govern how APHIS deals with plant pests. APHIS released a proposal to rewrite those regulations the
day before President Obama left office.
The proposal, which would have required upfront analysis of the risks of GE organisms, was roundly
criticized by stakeholders on all sides of the issue and was eventually withdrawn in November.
Firko called the comments on the Part 340 changes “a head-scratcher” at BRS’s annual
stakeholder meeting in November. One group of commenters said, “Oh my gosh, this is so much
more regulation,” Firko said. “And then there's a whole 'nother bunch of people (who called it)
dramatic under regulation.”
“Somewhere in our communications, different groups of people are interpreting our proposed rule very
differently,” Firko said. “So, that's why we need to engage with stakeholders more... try to figure out
what was going on there, why different groups of people viewed our proposed rule so dramatically
differently. And that's what the new stakeholder engagement is intended to address.”
So far, however, there have been no announcements about stakeholder engagement.
“As of this moment, we don’t have any specific dates for public meetings and things like that,” said
APHIS spokesman Rick Coker.
Nesbitt said early stakeholder input is crucial so APHIS understands the concerns with the proposal.
“Fairly widely within the industry, we all felt that the proposal was confusing, complicated, created a lot
of unanticipated problems that they didn’t intend,” he said.
The American Soybean Association, for example, said the “upfront risk analysis” sought in the proposal
“all but guarantees that only the largest companies would have the time and resources to undergo this
lengthy and costly process. Furthermore, it would deter much needed research at our universities and
elsewhere.”
“If the U.S. is to be at the forefront of innovation and advancements in technology, we cannot
create a regulatory system that stifles this goal and leaves U.S. businesses at a competitive
disadvantage,” ASA said.
Grain and oilseed exporters, however, repeatedly raised concerns with the Obama administration about
streamlining the Part 340 regulations without first making sure that the changes would be accepted by
the importing nations. The exporters repeated the concerns to the Trump administration, urging APHIS
to withdraw the proposed rule.
The exporters are still smarting from the 2014 disruption in shipments to China when Syngenta
commercialized its Agrisure Viptera corn seed in the United States prior to getting import approval from
China. The industry estimates the disruption cost it $1.5 billion to $4 billion during the 2013-14
marketing year.
In joint comments filed with APHIS, the Corn Refiners Association, National Grain and Feed
Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, North American Export Grain Association and
North American Millers’ Association called for the administration to pursue a “comprehensive
engagement strategy” with other countries in order to “build international regulatory compatibility and
acceptance around a new, more science- and risk-based approach” to regulating genetically modified
plants.
www.Agri-Pulse.com 43