Embassy of the United States

Issues in Focus

Biotechnology (GMOs)

What is agricultural biotechnology? Through a variety of scientific techniques, scientists are creating, improving, or modifying plants, animals, and micro-organisms for human benefit -- just as farmers and scientists have done for centuries through conventional techniques such as selective breeding. Crops produced through biotechnology are consumed in the United States and are exported (including food aid to countries in need), but only after stringent review according to the U.S. regulatory process.

Agricultural biotechnology helps farmers increase yields and produce more food per hectare. It reduces the need for chemicals, pesticides, water, and tilling, thus benefitting the environment as well as the health and livelihood of farmers. Biotechnology holds great promise to boost food production in both the developed and developing world, reducing crop vulnerability to pests, viruses, and drought. It has the potential to combat food insecurity and malnutrition around the world.

Here in Croatia, the U.S. Embassy works with the Government, scientists, the NGO community, and farmers themselves to ensure that all policies related to biotechnology are based firmly on science and rules-based precaution, not on emotion. We recognize that biotechnology can be an emotional issue. We are committed to building consumer confidence in food and agricultural products developed through modern technology in the U.S. and elsewhere. Through further dialogue and discussion, we hope that Croatian and American farmers and consumers can benefit from this exciting technology.

FACT SHEETS AND GENERAL INFORMATION

• Agricultural Biotechnology (compiled by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State)
• Biotechnology and U.S. Agricultural Trade - Questions and Answers, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, released January 3, 2003
• Biotech FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions about Biotechnology (compiled by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State)
• USAID Fact Sheet on Assessing Biotech Crops for Safety
• USAID Fact Sheet on Benefits of Biotech Crops
• USAID Fact Sheet on Establishing National Biosafety Systems
• USAID Fact Sheet on Global Use of Biotechnology
  

PUBLICATIONS

(Published by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State, except where noted.)

• Agricultural Biotechnology, Electronic Journal, September 2003
• Biotechnology: Food Security and Safety, Electronic Journal, October 1999
• Food Safety: Regulating Plant Agricultural Biotechnology in the United States
  (Sigurnost hrane: Pravna regulacija poljoprivredne biotehnologije usmjerene na biljke u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama)
• Food Security and Safety, Electronic Journal, May 2002
• Hrana dobivena iz biljaka oplemenjenih genetičkim inženjerstvom, publikacija Hrvatske udruge genetičkih inženjera
  

U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Agricultural Biotechnology
  • Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology
• Biotechnology - Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Biotechnology Program Under Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
• National Agricultural Library - U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Biotechnology Information Center
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• U.S. Regulatory Agencies Unified Biotechnology Website, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is an excellent explanation of how the regulatory process works in the U.S.

RELATED LINKS

• Biosafety Information Network & Advisory Service (BINAS) - United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
• Biotechnology Programme (BIOTECH) - European Commission/European Union (EU)
• Codex Alimentarius Commission, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
  • Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture
• An Overview of Biotechnology at the OECD - Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)