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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Margaret Mellon, PhD, Director, Food & Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists, 1707 H Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006, 202-223-6133, mmellon@ucsusa.org

The creators of pharma crops hope they will reduce drug production costs compared with cell culture or fermentation systems and, in some cases, make possible the production of drugs that cannot be produced at all by other systems. However, if these products contaminate the food supply and the environment—as they are almost certain to do—they may have detrimental health effects on humans and animals, putting food companies at risk for market losses, legal liability, and brand damage. An economic analysis conducted for the Union of Concerned Scientists revealed that the potential benefits of pharma crops are tentative and may be overstated, while the technology also carries with it potential economic and other downsides for consumers, farmers, and the food industry. Unfortunately, current federal regulatory systems are slanted toward the benefits side of the equation, and are ill prepared to protect the public from the risks and potential costs. This presentation will explore the full range of risks and benefits of pharma crops, along with the regulatory changes that are needed to protect the food supply, public health, and the environment.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

• Weigh competing projections of economic, public health, and environmental costs and benefits of pharma crops, and recognize the stakeholders who stand to gain or lose from the further development of this technology.
• Describe the roles of federal agencies in regulating pharma and industrial crops.
• Assess the need for strengthening federal regulation of pharma and industrial crops to protect the food supply and public health, and evaluate various policy options.

Keywords: Food Safety, Environmental Health Hazards

Related Web page: www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/genetic_engineering/pharmaceutical-and-industrial-crops-overview.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation