Thune Expresses Concern Regarding the Future of Agriculture Biotechnology

Thune Expresses Concern Regarding the
Future of Agriculture Biotechnology

“I am greatly concerned that just like many other areas of regulatory overreach, future regulation of our biotech crops … could become much more cumbersome and complicated and send the wrong message to our trading partners overseas.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today expressed his concern with the Obama administration’s overreach of federal regulation of agriculture biotechnology to a panel of witnesses during a Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry hearing entitled, “Agriculture Biotechnology: A Look at Federal Regulation and Stakeholder Perspectives.”

During his questioning, Thune received confirmation from Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, and U.S. Department of Agriculture witnesses that as a result of their research, foods produced from genetically modified (GM) plants are just as safe as foods produced from non-GM plants.

Opening statement (as prepared for delivery):

“Biotechnology has provided my home state of South Dakota and its number one industry, agriculture, with dramatic yield increases, drought tolerant crops, sustainability, and economic benefits that far exceed the expectations of just 10 or 20 years ago.

“Farmers in South Dakota and across the United States take great pride in not only the amount of the crops they produce and the number of people they feed, but most importantly the safety of the food supply they provide not only for U.S. and global populations, but also for their own families.

“Based on the testimony provided for today’s hearing, I am greatly concerned that just like many other areas of regulatory overreach, future regulation of our biotech crops, especially regarding the approval process, could become much more cumbersome and complicated and send the wrong message to our trading partners overseas – which could be very detrimental to my home state, as it depends heavily on export markets.

“Additionally, the uncertainty created by states individually passing mandatory GMO labeling laws would be devastating to producers as our supply chains are much too complex to meet the needs of 50 states.”

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