Forest Biotech is being ‘Strangled at Birth’, Scientists Say

Fierce opposition from anti-biotech groups and rigid regulations have brought the development of genetically modified trees in the U.S. almost to a standstill, according to an article published by Nature Biotechnology. Biotechnology is seen as a powerful tool to create trees that grow faster, resist drought and diseases, improve environmental clean-up, sequester carbon more efficiently and produce valuable commercial products. But most forest biotech studies in the US are on hold because of high costs of compliance to strict regulations which preclude field tests of GM trees.

Researchers from the Oregon State University and Carnegie Mellon University argued that steps must be taken to create a regulatory environment that considers GM trees on a scientific, case-by-case basis, and is focused on the end product rather than the process. Steven Strauss, main author of the paper, noted that "[biotech] opponents are taking advantage of the well-intentioned but vague language in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the associated Cartagena Protocol to stimulate the imposition of regulations that make progress in forest biotech almost impossible." "[Anti-biotech groups] don't even want to see field research," Strauss said, "which is required for analysis of ecological effects as well as benefits."

The full paper is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nbt0609-519