U.S. Chamber Praises Senate Passage of Biotech Week

WASHINGTON, D.C.-The United States Chamber of Commerce today applauded lawmakers in the Senate for their designation of National Biotechnology Week (May 13-20) and called for sound science in the regulation of biotech crops.

"Biotechnology holds enormous potential for our quality of life and economy," said Bill Kovacs, Chamber vice-president for environmental, technology and regulatory affairs. "It has been, and will continue to be, of tremendous benefit in developing more nutritious, safer foods."

The Chamber agrees with the Food & Drug Administration and the National Academy of Sciences' assessments that biotech foods are just as safe and no different from their conventional counterparts. Yet biotech foods undergo a level of regulatory scrutiny, by three different federal agencies, that is not applied to conventional foods.

A flexible and diversified food supply is essential if we are to meet the needs of a rapidly growing global population, Kovacs noted. Higher yields from biotech crops allow more food to be produced with the same natural resources, thus feeding more people while preserving wild habitats.

Biotech crops can prevent soil erosion and are environmentally friendly because they use fewer chemical inputs than traditional varieties, according to the Chamber. They also offer consumers nutritionally enriched foods that could never be developed through traditional plant breeding. Finally, farmers benefit from the reduced grower costs and the increased profit margins that biotech provides.

"Federal regulations based on sound science will help ensure the success of biotech crops as a safe food supply," said Kovacs. "Such an approach is vital in sustaining the use of biotechnology to the benefit of all people and all nations."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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