ABSTRACT
To date, herbicide-tolerant plants account for 28% of the field tests approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Herbicide-tolerant crops that have been field tested in the US include arabidopsis, com, cotton, peanut, potato, rapeseed, rice, soybean, sugarbeet, tobacco, tomato, and wheat. USDA regulations are focused on the organism or the product and any risks posed by a specific use of that organism or product, rather than on the process used in production. The role that the environmental protection agency (EPA) plays in the regulation of herbicide-tolerant plants is limited to approval of the herbicide that is to be applied to plant. Under Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA has the authority to regulate the development, sale, distribution, use, storage, and disposal of pesticides. The food and drug administration (FDA) is charged with maintaining a safe and wholesome food supply and derives its authority for its actions from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).
