Emphasizing that “USDA seeks to allow innovation when there is no risk present,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue reiterated that USDA does not regulate nor plan to regulate plants developed through new breeding techniques such as gene editing. The exception would be plants that pose a pest or noxious weed threat or are developed using plant pests.
The USDA used similar language last November when it announced for the third time in a decade that it will modernize its regulations for agricultural biotechnology. Perdue’s statement provided “clarification” of USDA oversight of “innovative new breeding techniques,” said the department. The USDA had no immediate comment on why a clarification was needed.
“If USDA says this is still our position on gene editing, that adds predictability,” said a biotechnology industry official. There may be uncertainty among some investors and researchers because the USDA withdrew one modernization plan last fall and has not unveiled a replacement yet.
At present, the USDA regulates only crops and other plants developed through classical biotechnology, which involves the insertion of genetic material from a foreign organism into the genes of a plant. Gene editing modifies the DNA within a cell. Proponents say the results are the same as those of traditional plant-breeding techniques and are inherently safe, so they should not go through the time-consuming and costly reviews that are mandatory for GMO crops.
The USDA home page for biotechnology regulation is available here.