The opposition to biotech crops is slowing the approval by U.S. regulators of new genetically modified products that is hurting farmers, an official with a trade group representing seed manufacturers said Sunday.
Cathleen Enright, an executive vice president of the food and agriculture with the Biotechnology Industry Organization, told farmers the growing number of groups working to “create fear and malign” our companies, coupled with more state ballot initiatives seeking to require mandatory labeling, have been noticed by states, regulators and political leaders.
“This impact is hitting close to home for American agriculture,” Enright told a supportive audience at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in San Antonio.
Increasingly, it is taking longer for regulators to approve new biotech seeds made by Johnston-based DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto and Syngenta, among other companies. The United States, Enright said, has changed from being the fastest in terms of approval nearly 20 years ago to one of the slowest among major producing countries.
Read the full, original article: Biotech crop opponents slowing federal approval
