Congress appropriated $3 million to fund the Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative, which calls upon the FDA to work with USDA to provide education and outreach to the public on agricultural biotechnology and food and animal feed ingredients derived from biotechnology.
Plants, food, and food ingredients developed using genetic engineering were introduced into the U.S. food supply in the 1990s. Public and private sector scientists knowledgeable in genetic engineering, toxicology, chemistry, nutrition, and other scientific areas have carefully evaluated and assessed the safety of these products and have determined that such products are safe for human and animal consumption. The Committee provides a total of $3,000,000 for the FDA to coordinate with USDA to provide education and outreach to the public on the safety and benefits of crop biotechnology and food and animal feed ingredients derived from biotechnology. The Committee expects this educational information to be posted on both agency websites and through other social media and communications platforms within 60 days of enactment of this Act.
Initiative Goal
The goal of this initiative is to provide consumer outreach and education through publication and distribution of science-based educational information on the environmental, nutritional, food safety, economic, and humanitarian impacts of agricultural biotechnology. The FDA is currently working on this initiative in consultation with USDA and other federal agencies.
Initial Phase
The initial phase of this initiative is to inform the public of our work and obtain input from all stakeholders on this issue. c.
The FDA will review the latest science and research studies, conduct message testing, solicit expert feedback, and review the public comments to help inform the development of all the final materials for this initiative.
Public Participation
We encourage you to participate by attending the public meetings in person or via webcast, as well as by providing comments through the open public docket. Visit the
public meetings page for details on how to get involved.
