Proposed changes to the "Farm Bill" would limit the regulatory authority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture over genetically engineered crops.
That's according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C.
CSPI wants Congress to write legislation that would give USDA specific authority over crops that have been genetically engineered.
"The current regulatory process at USDA is too slow and does not necessarily focus on the most important potential risks. USDA's regulation is based on the premise that engineered crops could become potential 'plant pests', but no reputable scientist believes adding one new gene to a corn variety could turn that crop into a plant pest," wrote Gregory Jaffe, CSPI's director of the biotechnology project, in a Nov. 2 letter to some lawmakers with oversight over the House Committee on Agriculture.
"Instead, Congress should write legislation that would give USDA explicit authority to regulate GE crops and the potential risks they could pose, such as the development of resistant populations of weeds and insects or the impact of gene flow to weedy relatives.," Jaffe wrote.
CSPI feels foods made from genetically engineered crops are safe to eat. Still, the organization is in favor of legislation that would require approval of such crops before they enter the nation's food supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't have that authority at this time, CSPI pointed out in a news release Nov. 2.
