Perspectives on the new USDA regulations for GM Crops | GES Colloquium, Part 5- Public Engagement Perspective Video at https://go.ncsu.edu/ges-mediasite Chat resources at https://go.ncsu.edu/ges-usda-panel-chat-links

1. Perspectives on the new USDA
regulations for GM crops
Jason A. Delborne, Professor
Forestry & Environmental Resources
Genetic Engineering and Society
Center
GES Colloquium (webinar)
June 5, 2020

2. Public Comments = Public
Engagement?
• 6,150 comments
• “Most of the comments,
while not form letters,
expressed a generalized,
similarly themed
opposition to GE
products.”
• “Of the comments that specifically addressed the provisions of
the rule, approximately 25 expressed some support for the
rule.”

3. Engagement: Building Trust
“While we recognize the agency’s rationale behind self-
determination and desire to provide regulatory relief in
order to spur innovation, we are concerned that rather than
stimulating innovation, such an undisclosed step may
have the effect of dampening trust through the loss of
transparency in the development and oversight
process” (J. Doudna [co-inventor of CRISPR], public
comment to APHIS).

4. Engagement: Risk Tolerance
*
**
*acceptable (exempt)
*unacceptable (requires RSR)

5. Engagement: Distributional Impacts