Photo credit: U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council.
The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council recently hosted a delegation of South Korean biotechnology safety reviewers to strengthen participants’ understanding of science-based regulatory frameworks and safety assessment systems for biotechnology and gene-editing technologies.
The delegation began its visit in Washington, D.C., where members met with representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. The meetings provided an overview of safety protocols used throughout the U.S. agricultural system.
The group then traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to tour Pairwise, a gene-editing company, including its laboratory and greenhouse facilities. The visit provided an opportunity to examine how biotechnology and gene editing are being used to advance agricultural productivity.
Biotechnology companies Bayer and Corteva also hosted the delegation in Missouri and Iowa, respectively. The companies discussed advances in plant breeding and the potential quality and sustainability benefits of gene-editing technologies.
The program allowed participants to examine the development of gene-edited crops across the full lifecycle, including research and development, safety assessment, regulatory approval, commercialization and stewardship.
South Korea is evaluating how its regulatory system can keep pace with advances in biotechnology while maintaining rigorous safety standards. The U.S. program provided participants with an opportunity to observe how science is incorporated into regulatory decision-making and how gene-edited products are evaluated for food, feed and environmental safety.
The program also has implications for agricultural trade. The U.S. is a major grain supplier to South Korea, particularly corn. Greater transparency, predictability and efficiency in South Korea's biotechnology regulatory system could benefit U.S. farmers and exporters while supporting Korean buyers that rely on stable grain supplies.
Source: U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, "South Korean Team Visits U.S. Biotechnology Innovators"