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Agricultural industry

Bipartisan Bills Introduced to Protect America's Food Security and Agriculture Supply Chains

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), members of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), have introduced a bipartisan package of bills focused on protecting America's food security and agriculture supply chains. The bills aim to accelerate innovation in food and agriculture, strengthen national security, and support domestic biomanufacturing. Senator Young introduced the Synthetic Biology Advancement Act, the National Biotechnology Safety Act, and the Biobased Market Expansion Act, while Senator Padilla introduced the Agriculture and National Security Act, the Agricultural Biotechnology Coordination Act, and the Foundation for Enabling Biotechnology Innovation Act. The NSCEB has endorsed all six bills, and Senators Young and Padilla will seek to include them in the upcoming Farm Bill.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Synthetic Biology Advancement Act would establish a National Synthetic Biology Center to accelerate innovation in food and agriculture.
  • The National Biotechnology Safety Act would authorize the National Science Foundation to conduct research on the safety of biotechnology organisms and establish clearer and more efficient approval pathways.
  • The Biobased Market Expansion Act would reauthorize and strengthen the USDA BioPreferred Program to better support domestic biomanufacturing.
  • The Agriculture and National Security Act would help identify and mitigate threats to food and agriculture by establishing an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for National Security within the USDA.
  • The Agricultural Biotechnology Coordination Act would establish the USDA Office of Biotechnology Policy to develop and coordinate department policies on biotechnology and biomanufacturing.
  • The Foundation for Enabling Biotechnology Innovation Act would accelerate U.S. biotechnology commercialization by establishing an independent foundation to ease regulatory burdens, foster public-private partnerships, expand market access, and support federal agency efforts.
  • All six bills were endorsed by the NSCEB.
  • Senator Young stated that biotechnology can strengthen America's food security and spur innovation in agriculture, both critical to national security.
  • Senator Padilla emphasized the importance of prioritizing American agricultural and emerging biotech innovation to strengthen the food supply chain and national security interests.

Statistics:

  • 6 bipartisan bills were introduced by Senators Young and Padilla to protect America's food security and agriculture supply chains.
  • 1 National Synthetic Biology Center would be established to accelerate innovation in food and agriculture.
  • 1 National Science Foundation research program would be authorized to examine the safety of biotechnology organisms.
  • 1 USDA BioPreferred Program would be reauthorized and strengthened to better support domestic biomanufacturing.
  • 1 Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for National Security would be established within the USDA to help identify and mitigate threats to food and agriculture.
  • 1 USDA Office of Biotechnology Policy would be established to develop and coordinate department policies on biotechnology and biomanufacturing.
  • 1 independent foundation would be established to accelerate U.S. biotechnology commercialization.

Sources:

  • "National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) releases statement on bipartisan bills introduced to protect America's food security and agriculture supply chains."
  • "Todd Young."
  • "Alex Padilla."
  • "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022."
  • "National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) comprehensive report and action plan delivered to Congress in April."

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