In an ideal world, all countries would simultaneously approve of new chemicals, genetically altered seeds and herbicide residue limits.
But in reality approvals are not synchronized and that leads to trade problems.
The problem has been dubbed “asynchronous approvals,” and there is no easy answer.
However, a senior multinational grain company official held up Canada as an example of science-based leadership.
“We’ve seen significant leadership from the Canadian government,” said Randal Giroux, Cargill Inc. vice president for food safety and quality, in a speech at the Canadian Global Crops Symposium April 12.
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“Frankly, I’m very proud of what I’ve seen the Canadian government do in the case of low level presence.”
Giroux said asynchronous approvals cost a lot of money for grain handlers like his company and the farmers who grow the crops.
It also stops the adoption of new and innovative products that could have enormous value for everybody.
“The stakes are high for everyone,” said Giroux.
“We need to innovate and integrate and get to these benefits as soon as we can.”
Following Giroux’s speech a panel of biotechnology regulation experts aired similar views, but had no easy answers for how the world’s multiple regulatory and approvals systems can be brought together.
“When innovation (is separated) from science and gets into politics, this is where it gets lost,” said a frustrated-sounding Teresa Babuscio, the secretary general of European grain industry group COCERAL.
She said scientists, companies and industry groups regularly discuss the issue with regulators, but the politics at higher levels bogs down the universal acceptance of biotechnology innovations.
This is a particular problem in Europe causing biotech research and development to move away, limiting the ability of Europeans to benefit from biotech’s promise.
Marcel Bruins of the International Grain Trade Coalition echoed the sentiments. The new non-transgenic developments in crop biotech avoid some of the concerns about genetically modified organisms, but still cause some Europeans to feel anxious.
“That scares regulators. That scares the different jurisdictions. They don’t know how to regulate it, whether to place it in the same basket as GMOs, or exempt it from regulation,” said Bruins.
“There needs to be international alignment. That is absolutely crucial for the international grain trade. As soon as we have a patchwork . . . we have a nightmare on our hands.”
