GLP Podcast: GMO grapes coming soon? Golden Rice is here; FDA’s dubious animal gene-editing rules

• Viewpoint: GMO grapes could be engineered to cut pesticide use and reduce pest damage. Why are they not yet commercialized?

Researchers have been developing genetically engineered, disease-resistant grapes for several decades. A deep commitment to tradition in the wine industry and lingering anti-GMO fears among consumers have delayed progress. But with winegrowers facing growing pest threats, this technology may finally get a chance to prove its efficacy on the vineyard. Is there a GMO-derived wine in our future?

• Vitamin-A enhanced Golden Rice distributed for planting for the first time in the Philippines

Golden Rice is poised to make a serious dent in rates of vitamin A deficiency in southeast Asia, potentially saving many young children from blindness, disease and early death. Decades of dishonest activism and excessive regulatory scrutiny have kept the enhanced crop out of the developing countries that desperately need it. But, finally, farmers in the Philippines have gained access to the enhanced rice, which means it’s a major step closer to helping the people who stand to benefit most from consuming it.

• Viewpoint: No, DNA is NOT a drug—Why the FDA’s continued insistence to regulate gene edited research animals as drugs blocks US-based innovation

The FDA publicly defends the cultivation and consumption of genetically engineered crops. When it comes to biotech animals, however, the agency takes a very different approach, arguing that strict regulations are required to prevent “unintended consequences” that could result from engineering animals. Has the agency made a convincing case for its contradictory takes on GE crops and animals, or has politics again clouded the discussion around biotechnology?