Last week, NAWG signed on to a letter to the U.S. Senate and House leadership supporting the inclusion of $3 million in the Fiscal Year 2017 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The funds will be applied to informing the public about the benefits realized by the application of biotechnology to food and agriculture production. Since the passing of the GMO labeling bill by Congress this summer, and its signing by President Obama, biotechnology in food has risen to the forefront of consumers’ attention. As the letter states, there is a considerable amount of misinformation about agriculture biotechnology in the public domain. The $3 million, recommended by many agricultural organizations would specify that key federal agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are equipped to successfully convey to the public science- and fact-based information demonstrating the safety of food products containing GMO-produced ingredients. The innovations that biotechnology has brought are crucial for increased production, environmental conservation, and food security. NAWG this funding to mitigate negative public opinion regarding biotechnology in food, and encourages Congress to retain the funding provision and oppose any legislative action to restrict agriculture technology development.
Source: NAWG