The “corporate culture” at USDA toward the regulation of genetically engineered plants is unscientific, self-interested and inimical to progress in agriculture. For almost 30 years, it has prevented American plant biologists and breeders from creating the Next Big Thing. And there’s no improvement on the horizon.
The development of a positive “corporate culture” is important, whether the organization is in the private sector or part of the government. We’ve seen recently that the culture of government organizations such as the IRS, EPA, Department of Justice and National Labor Relations Board–all of which have demonstrated a willingness to become highly politicized–leaves much to be desired.
Certain regulatory agencies unquestionably have developed the “wrong culture” for their clients–regulated industry and American taxpayers–because they are excessively burdensome, short on competence, and based on principles like, “We’ve always done it this way,” and “How can we protect our perks?” instead of, “This is the way that science, the law and common sense dictate.”
The regulation of genetically engineered plants by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is a case in point. Its approach is unscientific, unwise, wasteful and anti-competitive, but it survives in part because of APHIS’s culture: Its bureaucrats are not motivated to institute changes that will diminish the agency’s responsibilities or budget, and in any case few have been around long enough to recall the dubious origins of their own regulatory approach.
Read full, original article: USDA’s ‘Zombie’ Biotech Regulation Will Not Die
