From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov Transcript for: Genetically Engineered Crops Description: Audio interview by GAO staff with Steve Morris, Director, Natural Resources & Environment Related GAO Work: GAO-16-241: Genetically Engineered Crops: USDA Needs to Enhance Oversight and Better Understand Impacts of Unintended Mixing with Other Crops Released: April 2016 [ Background Music ] [Narrator:] Welcome to GAO's Watchdog Report, your source for news and information from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. It's April 2016. Genetically engineered crops, while controversial in some circles, have become commonplace in commercial agriculture. USDA and industry groups estimate that 90 percent of crops, such as corn and soybeans, are genetically engineered varieties. A team led by Steve Morris, a director in GAO's Natural Resources and Environment team recently reviewed federal agencies' oversight of genetically engineered crops and their potential impact on other crops. GAO's Jacques Arsenault sat down with Steve to talk about what they found. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] Just hearing the words genetically engineered foods raises concerns among some Americans. Can you explain to me what makes a crop genetically engineered? [ Steve Morris: ] Yes. Well yeah genetically engineered crops have received a lot of attention, just simply put a GE crop are basically plants that have had their genetic makeup changed or altered for a specific purpose. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] So this is something more involved or more intensive than the traditional crossbreeding or hybridization of crops? [ Steve Morris: ] Yes, let me give you some examples. You know plants can be genetically engineered to tolerate drought and herbicides, resistance to insects, and to even be more productive. And some of these techniques involve introducing a bacteria or shooting DNA particles into plant cells to actually introduce the new trait. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] And at this point GE crops are pretty common in U.S. agriculture; can you tell me a little bit about how common? [ Steve Morris: ] Yes, well you know in U.S. agriculture today GE crops play a vital, critical role, for example, almost all the corn and soybeans that we grow are genetically engineered varieties. As are a substantial percentage of other important crops. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] So then, what's the role of the federal government in overseeing these crops? [ Steve Morris: ] Yes, well there are essentially three key federal agencies that share responsibility for overseeing GE crops and that would be the EPA, the FDA, and the USDA. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] What are the roles of those? What do the EPA and the FDA do? [ Steve Morris: ] Well essentially EPA is responsible for regulating all pesticides which would include those that are incorporated into a plant through genetic engineering to ensure that these pesticides don't pose a risk to humans or the environment. In terms of FDA, they're responsible for ensuring the safety of most of the nation's food supply, and they would examine GE crops. For example, if there were toxicity and potentially cause allergic reactions. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] So when it comes to GE crops these sort of fall into the regular ways that EPA and FDA look at pesticides in the food supply? [ Steve Morris: ] Yes, that's essentially correct. You know in terms of EPA, again, they would regulate pesticides in the GE crop in the same way that it would regulate any other pesticide. And in terms of FDA we found that foods derived from GE crops are basically subject to the same safety requirements as foods derived from non-GE crops. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] Now when it comes to USDA I understand that they have a bigger or broader role. Can you talk about what you found in this report? [ Steve Morris: ] Yes, we found like in the case of USDA that you know it essentially regulates GE crops to ensure that they don't pose a risk to plants in terms of agriculture and the environment. But we did find that there was a gap in USDA's oversight. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] And what was that gap? [ Steve Morris: ] Well, for example, USDA conducts comprehensive assessments on GE crops that were developed using a bacterium, for example. But it doesn't necessarily conduct these types of comprehensive assessments for all GE crops, particularly those that were developed using alternative methods and techniques. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] So it's only a subset of GE crops that get that comprehensive assessment? [ Steve Morris: ] That's correct, and the concern there is that these types of crops that were developed using these alternative technologies, they can be used commercially without having first undergone a comprehensive assessment to determine if they actually pose a risk. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] And I understand there was also another concern about GE crops mixing with traditional crops, or other crops. [ Steve Morris: ] Yes, you know we found that USDA had very limited data and information on the unintended mixing of GE and non-GE crops throughout the supply chain through production, through marketing, et cetera. And so as a result it's very difficult to know the extent of such mixing, and any potential economic impacts on the farmers. [ Jacques Arsenault: ] Well can you tell me about the recommendations then, that GAO is making in the report? [ Steve Morris: ] Yes, well to strengthen the government's oversight of GE crops we're essentially recommending that USDA develop a timeline for updating its regulations to assess GE crops, regardless of how the crops are developed, to ensure that they don't pose a potential risk. We're also recommending that USDA obtain more information to better understand the extent and economic impact of unintended mixing of GE and non-GE crops. [ Background Music ] [Narrator:] To learn more, visit GAO.gov and be sure to tune in to the next episode of GAO's Watchdog Report for more from the congressional watchdog, the U.S. Government Accountability Office.