Present and Future of U.S. Agricultural Biotechnology

1. Present and Future of U.S. Agricultural Biotechnology Paul Spencer Senior Agricultural Attaché American Embassy, Tokyo

2. Crops and Traits • Widespread application in major crops • Soybeans • Corn • Cotton • Expense somewhat limits development of minor crops • Current traits • Insect Resistance (“Bt”) • Herbicide Tolerance (glyphosate, glufosinate) • Virus resistance • Future Traits (near term) • Drought resistance, heart healthy oils, fruits, etc. • Trait/crops of importance to developing world (e.g., cassava, sorghum, banana)

3. U.S. Biotech Use Increasing

4. large scale production • not in commercial production Crops With Non-Regulated Status • Tomato - PQ • Chicory – AP • Potato - IR, VR • Rice – HT • Sugar beet – HT • Flax – HT • Plum - VR • Corn - HT, IR, AP • Soybean - HT, PQ • Cotton - HT, IR • Canola - HT, AP, PQ • Papaya – VR • Squash – VR • Tobacco – PQ HT – herbicide tolerance IR – insect resistance AP – agronomic properties VR – virus resistance PQ – product quality

5. □Agronomic □ Quality/Food Industry Soybean Portfolio*A Steady Pipeline of New Biotech Events Nearly Every Year Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) DuPont Omega-3 (Monsanto; Steandonic Acid) Bt/RR2Y (Monsanto) RR2Y (Monsanto) Low Sat (Monsanto) Rust (Monsanto; Pioneer High Beta- Conglycinin (Monsanto; DuPont) High Stearate (Monsanto; DuPont) Dicamba Tolerant (Monsanto) Antibody - containing (against E. coli 0157:H) Feed: High Protein Soybean (Monsanto; DuPont) Yield (Monsanto; Pioneer) Low-Phytate (DuPont) 201X 2009 Low Lin (Syngenta) Modified 7S Protein FF (Dupont) Disease (Monsanto; Pioneer) High Oleic (DuPont) Glyphosate & isoxazole tol. (Bayer)* High Oleic, Stearate (DuPont) Soybean Cyst Nematode Monsanto; Pioneer GAT/Glyphosate-ALS (Pioneer) Processing: High Oil Soy (Monsanto) Herbicide tol.: 2,4-D (Dow) and aryloxyphenoxy propionate herbicides Liberty Link (Bayer) *Estimated pipeline of soybean biotech events prepared by the American Soybean Association, November 2007.

6. Why Are U.S. Farmers Planting Biotech Crops? • Yield increases. • Lower costs (fuel savings, don’t need as many chemicals) • Environmental benefits (fewer chemicals, facilitates ‘no-till’ farming) • In the future, new products (nutritionally enhanced foods)

7. Many New Products Will Be Reviewed by the Japanese Govt. • U.S. Embassy Survey of Tech. Companies • Results for JFY 2008 and JFY 2009 • 51 new products • 7 traits that are new

8. U.S. Regulatory System • First genetically engineered (GE) plants - 1983 • 1986 - Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology • Described how existing agencies and laws could be used to regulate products of biotechnology

9. U.S. Regulatory System • The risks of GE organisms are not fundamentally different from risks posed by non-GE organisms with similar traits. • Regulation should be science-based and conducted on a case-by-case basis.

10. USDASafe for agriculture and the environment FDASafe for usein food and feed EPASafe for useas pesticide U.S. Regulatory System

11. U.S. Regulatory System

12. U.S. Japan Relationship • The United States is the largest supplier of food to Japan. • Japan is an important part of the U.S. farm economy. • U.S. technology companies and producers have agreed not to commercially grow biotech crops unless they are approved in Japan.

13. Key Embassy PR Messages • Biotechnology critical for U.S. farmers. • We want Japanese to understand why we are growing these crops. • Biotechnology is an important part of global food security. • Americans eat these same biotech foods that we export to Japan.

14. For More Information U.S. regulatory agencies http://usbiotechreg.nbii.gov U.S. Embassy Report on Agricultural Biotechnology In Japan http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200807/146295225.pdf U.S. Embassy Agricultural Office 日本語http://www.usdajapan.org/jp/index.html Informaion on U.S. Food 日本語http://www.myfood.jp