Biotech Remains Glickman’s Focus

April 19, 2000

Of three major USDA interests, biotechnology continues to claim much of Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman’s attention. He revisited the subject, along with food safety and nutrition, Tuesday in a speech to the Consumer Federation of America. He has asked the National Academy of Sciences to establish a standing committee to continually review USDA’s biotechnology regulatory process.

"I’ve always maintained that we must have a thorough understanding of the ethical, safety and environmental implications of any new technology," he said. "Any advances we make on the technological front must be grounded in strong science and solid regulatory processes."

The first generation of biotechnology products "didn’t offer anything to consumers," said Glickman. They were crop-related only. "So it was slow going demonstrating to consumers the value of this technology. Basically the attitude was, if we grow it, they will eat it. I think we’re treading on dangerous ground any time we take consumers for granted."

For the second generation of biotechnology products, the results will go from the laboratory into the supermarket with direct consumer benefits: better taste, nutritionally fortified and longer lasting. "And this time around, you can bet that if the producers want to sell this new generation of biotech products to consumers, these products will be swimming in information about their advantages," he said.

Current and new food safety challenges "mirror the changes in our lifestyles and the changes in the way we process and market food," Glickman continued. "Basically we’ve laid the foundation to meet future food safety challenges through modern science (the hazard analysis and critical control point system of inspection) and information technology (telling farmers, processors, grocers and consumers what they need to do to ensure the safety of the food supply)."

A major challenge remains in the area of nutrition. The nutritional eating habits of consumers must change, especially those among children, he said. "But whether it’s the obesity problem in our children or the nutritional challenges of our elderly, nutrition assistance and education must be at the forefront of public policy in the 21^st century," he said.