USDA Finalizes SECURE, Eases Up Biotech Regulations

United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue gave a statement providing the final rule to significantly update and modernize the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) biotechnology regulations. The Sustainable, Ecological, Consistent, Uniform, Responsible, Efficient (SECURE) rule under the Plant Protection Act aims to simplify biotechnology regulations by removing duplicate and antiquated processes that USDA has been using for its 30 years of service. The move is expected to facilitate the development and availability of modern biotechnology and its products closer and faster to farmers and beneficiaries while maintaining the transparent, consistent, science-based, and risk-proportionate regulatory system.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency supports the finalization of SECURE and declared to continue their own efforts to safely reduce unnecessary regulations as well. They plan to issue their own proposed rule within the year. Likewise, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be working alongside the USDA in promoting agricultural biotechnology innovations using scientific-based regulatory approaches that will ensure food safety among American consumers.

Read the full news release by USDA for more details.