KARA joins coalition letter to USDA supporting plant innovation exemptions

Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association co-signed a letter to the United States Dept. of Agriculture in support of five proposed exemptions to genetic modifications in plants. USDA’s proposal would exempt additional plant varieties indistinguishable from varieties developed using conventional breeding, and thus do not warrant continued oversight under 7 C.F.R. Part 340.

The letter addresses: Benefits of gene editing for food, agriculture and the environment; General support and feedback on the proposed exemptions; As well as additional considerations.

The letter states, in part, “Importantly, these exemptions would allow some in the U.S. agricultural community to access vital new innovations needed to address global food, energy, supply chain security, climate change, and environmental stewardship, among many other challenges facing our society. Unfortunately, however, the proposal still falls short. We urge the USDA-APHIS Biotechnology Regulatory Service (BRS) to swiftly finalize and implement these proposed exemptions with the improvements detailed below, as well as those advocated for in supplemental comments of individual signers of this letter to ensure that all agricultural crops can benefit from these important innovations.”