USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology for the 21st Century (AC21)Client: USDA - AC21 The role of agricultural biotechnology and its impacts on global food and agricultural production systems is a complex, often controversial topic of public policy. While some forums exist to engage stakeholders in a variety of agricultural biotechnology policy issues, none have been focused on anticipating the future of the technology and preparing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA, a key agency governing agricultural biotechnology products) for its role in the years to come. In mid-2003, then Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman, chartered and convened the USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology for the 21st Century (AC21). AC21 was charged with developing a report projecting what new agricultural biotechnology products are coming in the next five-to-ten years, their associated impacts to the food and agricultural production system, and how USDA can best prepare for this future. The Committee also was charged with developing an overview of steps being taken to comply with increasing traceability and labeling requirements around the globe. Established under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, AC21 is comprised of diverse stakeholders including growers, technology providers, food manufacturers, environmentalists, and representatives from the seed industry, consumer organizations, and academia. RESOLVE staff leads facilitation of the deliberations of the Committee. The AC21 has collaboratively developed, finalized and delivered to the current Secretary of Agriculture, Michael Johanns, three consensus-based reports. Two were presented to Secretary Johanns in May of 2005. “Global Traceability and Labeling Requirements for Agricultural Biotechnology-Derived Products: Impacts and Implications for the United States.” This report examines the implications of the current different mandatory biotechnology labeling and traceability requirements in other countries on the United States agricultural food and feed supply chain, and how elements of that supply chain are responding to these requirements. The second report, “Preparing for the Future,” proposes three different scenarios of the future, not to predict the future, but for the purposes of examining and understanding the implications of differing outcomes. The third report, “Opportunities and Challenges in Agricultural Biotechnology: The Decade Ahead,” was completed and presented to Deputy Secretary Chuck Connor in August of 2006. |