Streamlining USDA Regulation of Gene Editing to Benefit US Agriculture

Feeding a growing world population and adapting agricultural production to a changing climate is a significant challenge that can be mitigated through the use of new gene-editing technologies in crops. However, current regulatory processes are overly burdensome and confusing, have limited scientific innovation, and prevent the widespread production of genetically engineered (GE) crops. To address this, we propose the regulatory exemption of GE plants that have a previously-reviewed trait and mechanism of action, a unified and detailed web platform for applications for commercial approval, and the consolidation of federal regulatory communication to the USDA