title: Global Adoption of Genetically Modified (GM) Crops: Challenges for the Public Sector.
abstract: Advances in biotechnology continue to drive the development of a wide range of insect-protected, herbicide-tolerant, stress-tolerant, and nutritionally enhanced genetically modified (GM) crops, yet societal and public policy considerations may slow their commercialization. Such restrictions may disproportionately affect developing countries, as well as smaller entrepreneurial and public sector initiatives. The 2014 IUPAC International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry (San Francisco, CA, USA; August 2014) included a symposium on "Challenges Associated with Global Adoption of Agricultural Biotechnology" to review current obstacles in promoting GM crops. Challenges identified by symposium presenters included (i) poor public understanding of GM technology and the need for enhanced communication strategies, (ii) nonharmonized and prescriptive regulatory requirements, and (iii) limited experience with regulations and product development within some public sector programs. The need for holistic resistance management programs to enable the most effective use of insect-protected crops was also a point of emphasis. This paper provides details on the symposium discussion and provides background information that can be used in support of further adoption of beneficial GM crops. Overall, it emphasizes that global adoption of modern agricultural biotechnology has not only provided benefits to growers and consumers but has great potential to provide solutions to an increasing global population and diminishing agricultural land. This potential will be realized by continued scientific innovation, harmonized regulatory systems, and broader communication of the benefits of the high-yielding, disease-resistant, and nutritionally enhanced crops attainable through modern biotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Bureau for Food Security, Research Division, U.S. Agency for International Development , Washington, D.C. 20004, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Huesing
authors.affiliation: Bayer Cropscience AG, Alfred-Nobel-Strasse 50, 40789 Monheim, Germany.|Representing Europabio, Avenue de l'Armée 6, 1040 Etterbeek, Belgium.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.affiliation: IR-4 Project, Rutgers University , Princeton, New Jersey 08540, United States.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Braverman
authors.affiliation: Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, 3054 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Washington State University , Richland, Washington 99354, United States.
authors.forename: Allan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Felsot
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: George G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Harrigan
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research Unit and Department of Entomology, Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa 50011, United States.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hellmich
authors.affiliation: Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Washington, D.C. 20460, United States.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, Cornell University/NYSAES , Geneva, New York 14456, United States.
authors.forename: Anthony M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Shelton
authors.affiliation: Phytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria , Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.
authors.forename: Wilna
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jansen van Rijssen
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: E Jane
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Phytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria , Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jacobus N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Eloff
mesh_terms: D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000592:standards*; D059022:Food Safety; D030841:Food, Genetically Modified / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D017150:Public Sector / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence
keywords: agricultural biotechnology; genetically modified crops; regulatory assessments