b"Breaking Down Barriers with the EPA: Why Open Dialogue Matters for the Seed IndustryClear communication and balanced oversight are critical for innovation, stewardship and farmers bottom lines.FOR THOSE OFyou that know me well, (andThe Rise of Biotech those of you who have just seen me in action)Since 1995, the combination of seed genetics you know I can get 'riled up' over things. and seed biotechnology have created a complex Over the last four years, one of those thingssystem of regulations and patents. When intro-that has really gotten me going has been theduced the corn market, Bt-176, Bt11 and Mon810 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Yourevolutionized our approach to insect control. The should keep in mind, I started my career as a croprise of biotechnology was truly a revolutionary protection sales rep with then Ciba-Geigy, a legacystep in agriculture, and I count myself as fortunate company of Syngenta, so the EPA has always beento have lived every step of the way.part of my life. With new products come new concepts. While insect resistance management (IRM) had long Why is the EPA Important to the Seedbeen practiced with crop protection products, Industry? biotechnology brought forth new and untested BY TODD MARTIN,Directly, the EPA exerts control over the productsmethods of stewardship called refuge.Independent Professional Seedyou sell and indirectly has influence on the price. While refuge was a new concept when intro-Association CEO Lets think about that. duced in 1995 with biotechnology, no one can The EPA is responsible for protecting humanargue its effectiveness. Cry1Ab, the protein health and the environment. Under the Federalinvolved in Bt11 and Mon810 is still effective today Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Acton European Corn Borer, 30 years after introduc-(FIFRA), EPA regulates pesticides. Under FIFRA,tion. Refuge must be part of that success.EPA regulates the sale, distribution, and use ofIn the intervening years, the industry and EPA all pesticides, including those produced throughhave both evolved in our thinking. We are both genetic engineering. This group includes chemi- learning a new system. Now, the biotech market is cal pesticides, microorganisms, bio-chemicals,coming up on 30 years old. Its more mature. We and plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs), a typehave moved from single events, to stacked events, of pesticide intended to be produced and used into multiple modes of action and multiple stacked living plants, when these are intended to be usedevents. We must evolve our views again.as pesticides.That means that any insect focused biotechnol- Challenges with the EPAs Biotech ogy (not herbicide) falls under EPAs jurisdiction. FrameworkLets face it, the EPA is everyones favoriteBefore he passed away, Tom Burrus of Burrus punching bag. Their bureaucracy is legendary. Seed, brought to my attention the issue of the From all appearances, the EPA strugglesEPAs desire to remove single event corn root-to understand a biological system made up ofworm products from the market. This desire was biotechnology and seed genetics. That is not thatespoused as a concern for substandard prod-surprising, considering so much of their workucts putting a risk to IRM. A small group of IPSA breaks along the lines of a chemical compound.and ASTA members met with the EPA and had However, chemical thinking for biology is not thea positive meeting. We believed we were heard. best thought process when you are making theThe fact is we were too late, the EPA announced regulations over an industry. But you do have totheir intentions a few weeks laterall of which we start somewhere. spoke against.48/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2025"