June 2012

Source: ISB News Report - June 2012
http://www.isb.vt.edu/news/2012/Jun12.pdf

By Tim Durham, John Doucet, and Lori Unruh Snyder

Despite the enviable track record of GE crops, regulators still exhibit recalcitrance when it comes to regulatory reform. To date, most of the special scrutiny ascribed to GE crops has been based on the erroneous assumption that transgenesis is inherently more risky than conventional methods of crop improvement. This reality necessitates a workable solution to an obvious policy dilemma - the disparate regulatory treatment afforded to GE crops over their conventional kin, despite a similar suite of ecological and human health effects. The principle of de minimis risk offers a reasonable counterweight to the status quo. It conveys a simple philosophy: that the regulation of risk should exhibit a standard of congruency and proportionality.

Full article

Website: http://www.isb.vt.edu

Published: June 21, 2012