Biotechnology Risk Assessment
Research
The changing agriculture enterprise in the
21st century includes increasing use of transgenic
crops. In the United States in 2002, approximately
34 percent of the acres planted to corn,
75 percent of the acres planted to soybeans,
and 71 percent of the acres planted to cotton
consisted of transgenic varieties.
Agricultural biotechnology holds great promise
for increased crop productivity, maintaining
sustainability of natural resources, and
minimizing detrimental environmental effects
caused by the use of herbicides, pesticides,
antibiotics, and hormones associated with
large agricultural practices. In addition,
agricultural biotechnology may lead to enhanced
nutrient composition of foods and cheaper
production of human pharmaceutical proteins.
The expanded use of agricultural biotechnology,
however, has been met with considerable controversy.
Consumers, public interest groups, the news
media, producers of organic or specialty
products, and other stakeholders have voiced
concern about possible environmental, human
health, animal health, or food safety risks
associated with genetically modified organisms.
These concerns have translated into increased
pressure on U.S. regulatory agencies to ensure
the safety of transgenic crops and animals
with regard to the environment, human health,
and biological diversity.
Since 1992, CSREES has served as the lead
administrative agency for the USDA Biotechnology
Risk Assessment Grants (BRAG) program, which
supports environmental risk assessment and
risk management research projects. BRAG is
administered jointly by the USDA Agricultural
Research Service and the Forest Service.
The purpose of the program is to support
science-based information regarding the safety
of introducing into the environment genetically
modified animals, plants, and microorganisms.
Applications submitted to this program must
address one of the following areas:
- Research designed to identify and develop
appropriate management practices to minimize
physical and biological risks associated
with genetically engineered animals, plants,
and microorganisms.
- Research designed to develop methods
to monitor the dispersal of genetically
engineered animals, plants, and microorganisms.
- Research designed to further existing
knowledge with respect to the characteristics,
rates, and methods of gene transfer that
may occur among genetically engineered
animals, plants, and microorganisms and
related wild and agricultural organisms.
- Environmental assessment research designed
to provide analysis that compares the relative
impacts of animals, plants, and microorganisms
modified through genetic engineering to
other types of production systems.
- Conferences that bring together scientists,
regulators, and other stakeholders to review
the science-based data relevant to science-based
risk assessment and management of genetically
modified animals, plants, and microorganisms
released into the environment.
Research, education, and extension projects
that examine the effects of genetically modified
foods on human, animal, and plant health
were supported by the Initiative
for Future Agriculture and Food Systems competitive
grant program in fiscal years 2000 and 2001.
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