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48 SEEDWORLD.COM SEPTEMBER 2015 After earning a doctorate in biology from the University of Iowa in 1986 she worked at Plant Genetic Systems in Belgium and then Michigan States Plant Research Laboratory before packing her belongings and heading East for a job in the nations capitol with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Here she coordinated the working group to develop a policy for genetically engineered plants in the Office of Pesticide Programs. This was when the United States a few years prior had articulated gener- ally how it would regulate biotech products and gov- ernment agencies were just beginning to shape policy Slutsky recalls. The first commercial products were just down the road she says noting that there was an understanding and a realization that this technology genetic engi- neering was really going to have a huge impact on the ability to introduce new characteristics and traits in plants. The challenge was to create a policy that would facilitate innovation but work to ensure safety. It was a very exciting time but not without controversy. This is where science marries up with the applica- tion of policy and legal structure. Its the nexus of getting those pieces together and working in synch with each other. Much of the structure of the policies put together by the agencies at this point in time are still in place today. You cant always predict the future or where the science will go Slutsky says. We had to take the knowledge that we had and develop a policy that fit that knowledge. I think we did that. Fast forward about 20 years through a short stint in the pharmaceutical industry and two jobs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture one of which was senior advisor for biotechnology in the Office of the Secretary and Slutsky is working for the American Seed Trade Association. On behalf of ASTAs more than 700 members which range from large multinational companies to independent family-owned businesses selling every- thing from alfalfa seed to zucchini seed the senior vice president of domestic and international policy works on issues involving emerging technologies intellectual property rights and international regulation and trade. In terms of experience knowledge and success- ful advocacy on behalf of the American seed industry and the overall agricultural industry Bernice occupies a seat at a very exclusive table says Andy LaVigne ASTA president and CEO. Through the years Slutsky has worked tirelessly to promote coexistence and establish a low-level pres- ence policy in the U.S. as well as abroad. Most recently she helped lead the development of The Accord for the seed industry and its many stakeholders through- out the value chain. The Accord is a framework that we developed to provide a mechanism for that transition from propri- etary biotech events to off-patent or generic biotech events she says. The real driver for us developing the Accord was that even though these events are going off patent they are still highly regulated worldwide. The immediate goal Slutsky explains was to develop a frame- work that assures the necessary regulatory authorizations for the events are maintained and most importantly that commodity trade is not interrupted. At the beginning I wouldnt have predicted we are where we are today with the many different regulatory structures around the world Slutsky says as she prepares to help lead a global conversation about new breeding technologies. I think we are at a similar point in time now with these newer breeding methods as we were in the early 90s with genetic engineering. During the past six years sci- entists have sequenced pretty much every crop of significant economic value according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. We are seeing the advent of new precision breeding techniques such as gene editing which means researchers can more precisely create genetic variability Slutsky says. For example we can with great precision create a disease- resistant gene from a disease-sensi- tive gene. This too is a very exciting time she says but there is a great deal of uncertainty within the industry about how government policies will affect the ability to use these new precision techniques. They are relatively inex- pensive and available to university researchers as well as companies that might not have the resources to navigate the legal framework to bring a biotech product to market. Just this summer the White House issued a memorandum asking the three agencies the U.S. Department of Agriculture Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration that oversee biotechnology to review and update the Coordinated At the beginning I wouldnt have predicted we are where we are today with the many different regulatory structures around the world. I think we are at a similar point in time now with these newer breeding methods as we were in the early 90s with genetic engineering. Bernice Slutsky Career Highlights 1986 Earned a doctorate in biology from the University of Iowa. 1990 Coordinated the working group to develop policy for genetically engineered plants in the Environmental Protection Agencys Office of Pesticide Programs. 1997 Began working for the Department of Agricultures Foreign Agricultural Service as biotechnology coordinator of international trade policy. 2004 Served as senior advisor for biotechnology in the Office of the Secretary coordinating USDA policies and activities. 2006 Continues shaping policy around plant technology through the American Seed Trade Association.