Challenges to Commercial Use of Transgenic Plants

Abstract

There is a well established and rigorous framework to regulate interstate movement and environmental release of transgenic plants. Three federal agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency, are involved in the regulatory process. To date, more than 10,000 field trials have been conducted and approximately 60 different crop-species combinations have been deployed commercially in the U.S. This includes a wide range of crops that have been genetically engineered for a variety of traits. The purpose of this article is to describe the process by which one obtains permission to release transgenic plants for both experimental field trials and for commercial purposes.