Biotech Updates

New CAST Paper Examines Trade and Biotech Issues

December 14, 2016

The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) Literature Review and Report has been released. The Impact of Asynchronous Approvals for Biotech Crops on Agricultural Sustainability, Trade, and Innovation looks at problems caused by asynchronous approvals for biotech crops. The authors focused on the economic effects in countries that are major global commodity exporters and importers, which show that asynchrony in the global approval of new biotech crops and the resultant risk of low level presence (LLP) puts large volumes of trade worth billions of dollars at risk.

The paper shares research regarding the impacts on trade, downstream industries, adoption of biotechnology innovations, biotech investment/R&D, crop breeding, and farm income.

The CAST report offers potential solutions that might ease the negative impacts of asynchronous approvals and LLP. According to the authors, "More research is needed to evaluate the global cost of asynchronous approvals and LLP, the impacts of asynchrony on innovation and crop improvements, and the decision-making process of biotech developers, in both the public and private sectors. Timely research could inform policymaking and improve the design of policy instruments."

For more details about this report, visit CAST.