USDA Urged to Modernize Crop Review Process
After a court ruling in 2024 overturned USDA’s SECURE rule, the agency was forced to rely again on outdated regulations from 1987 to oversee genetically engineered crops. These old rules make it harder for farmers to access new biotechnology tools that increase yields and cut costs.
From disease-resistant papaya to low-lignin alfalfa and gene-edited pigs, biotech has improved productivity and lowered chemical use. Yet, under current policies, developers face long delays even for low-risk products.
To fix this, experts propose a new product- and risk-based system for reviewing biotech crops. This “red flag” model would only require premarket review for crops with traits likely to cause harm. Other low-risk products would move to market faster.
Developers could still request voluntary review from USDA if needed, especially for export requirements. This approach would focus attention and resources on higher-risk cases and improve trust in new agricultural products.
The USDA must also avoid using the number of genetic changes as a measure of risk. A national science report in 2016 found that “the size and extent of the genetic transformation has relatively little relevance to the extent of the change in the plant and consequently to the risk.”
“USDA must take the opportunity presented by the current reversion to the legacy regulations to draft a new rule that improves upon both the legacy regulations and the SECURE rule to better match premarket review with the actual risks of new products.”
To implement this, the administration will need to ensure proper staffing and support for USDA’s regulatory division. Without action, outdated policies may continue to block innovation and reduce U.S. competitiveness in agriculture.
New science-driven rules are critical for sustainable farming and economic growth.