GLADSTONE, Mo. (March 31, 2023) – The Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture announced today it will hold an open comment period to gather feedback on its Framework for Responsible Use of Gene Editing in Agriculture. The Coalition welcomes feedback to help clarify the intent of the principles and commitments, increase the credibility of the framework, and streamline the verification process. The open comment period begins at 12 a.m./CT on April 1 and ends 11:59 p.m./CT on April 30, 2023. Stakeholders can submit feedback at Open Comment Period on the Coalition’s website.
“When the Coalition launched the Framework for Responsible Use, we recognized the need to periodically review and discuss if changes were needed to ensure the program remains credible, workable and affordable,” said Charlie Arnot, CEO of The Center for Food Integrity, which administers the Coalition. “The Coalition invites all food and agriculture stakeholders to review the Framework and share ideas that may help improve the voluntary verification program.”
The Coalition will review the comments and determine if changes will be made to the Framework for Responsible Use. Individuals who include email addresses with their comments will receive a draft copy of the proposed Framework 2.0 in August 2023. Please monitor the Coalition’s website for updates.
About the Framework for Responsible Use of Gene Editing in Agriculture
The Framework for Responsible Use of Gene Editing in Agriculture was developed by the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture, which includes representatives from food companies, academia, civil society, technology developers, farmers and related associations. Coalition members believe that gene editing has tremendous potential to solve food production challenges, and they are working together to engage with stakeholders about the responsible use of this technology.
The Framework for Responsible Use is intended to inspire confidence that technology developers are being transparent about the use of gene editing, and have stewardship and quality management systems in place that warrant trust in the application of the technology and resulting food products.
The Framework for Responsible Use outlines a set of principles and commitments that organizations voluntarily follow to demonstrate their willingness to be transparent about the use of gene editing and how it benefits the food system, environment and society. Participating organizations agree to uphold these seven principles: transparency, stakeholder engagement, safety and quality, trade and market considerations, social considerations, continuous improvement and verification.
The Framework for Responsible Use has been publicly endorsed by agriculture and food leaders including Benson Hill, BIO, Cargill Inc., Corteva Agriscience, Costco Wholesale, FMI – The Food Industry Association, Genus PLC, PepsiCo and Tropic Biosciences. Corteva AgriScience is the first company to achieve verification of operating in conformance with the framework.
About the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture
The Coalition was formed by The Center for Food Integrity to strive for global understanding and acceptance of the responsible use of gene editing technology in the food system. To learn more about the Coalition, visit geneediting.foodintegrity.org.