USDA greenlights gene-edited crops

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it will not regulate most crops modified with gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR. In a statement released March 28, USDA Secretary Sonny Purdue said that gene editing is equivalent to techniques traditionally used by plant breeders to generate beneficial traits and does not carry additional risks that require oversight. Until now, companies developing gene-edited crops had to request clarification via letter to find out if the agency would regulate their product. In each case, USDA responded that it would not. The agency outlined the gene-editing methods it considers equivalent to common plant-breeding techniques, such as hybridization and mutagenesis via chemicals or radiation. The equivalent methods include DNA deletions of any size, single-base-pair substitutions, and insertions of DNA from plant relatives. The agency will continue to regulate genetically modified crops that contain genes from other species to protect the agriculture industry from plant pests...