Trump administration officials say they are committed to reducing regulatory barriers to agricultural biotechnology as part of a larger strategy to promote the development of a “bioeconomy” based on far-reaching scientific innovations that could revolutionize medicine, nutrition and manufacturing as well as farming.
Agricultural biotech “should be the leading area for the bioeconomy, almost by definition,” Andrew Olmem, deputy director for the National Economic Council said Monday at an all-day White House “Summit on America’s Bioeconomy.” “Farmers are really since day one the cutting edge of American technology.”
Michael Kratsios, the White House’s chief technology officer, noted that the administration issued an executive order in June ordering federal agencies to find ways that they can streamline the regulation of biotech crops and animals to focus the approval process on products that could pose an environmental or health risk.
Olmem said the effort to streamline agricultural biotechnology could serve as a model other areas of biotech sectors.
Read full, original article: White House looks to clear path for ‘bioeconomy’