Bipartisan Efforts to Strengthen America's Food Security through Biotechnology

Strategic Insights -

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), Commissioners of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), have introduced a package of six bills aiming to protect America's food security and agriculture supply chains by leveraging biotechnology innovations. The bills, which will be considered for inclusion in the upcoming Farm Bill, focus on strengthening and streamlining biotechnology applications in domestic food manufacturing and farming. Padilla led the introduction of the Agriculture and National Security Act, while Young led the Synthetic Biology Advancement Act, among others. The NSCEB, established by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, has endorsed the bills, citing the importance of using American innovation to maintain U.S. global leadership in biotechnology.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Agriculture and National Security Act aims to establish an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for National Security within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help identify and mitigate threats to food and agriculture.
  • The Agricultural Biotechnology Coordination Act proposes establishing 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 and foster public-private partnerships.
  • The Synthetic Biology Advancement Act would accelerate innovation in food and agriculture by establishing a National Synthetic Biology Center.
  • The National Biotechnology Safety Act would authorize the National Science Foundation to conduct research on the safety of biotechnology organisms, establishing 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 NSCEB has endorsed the bills, citing the importance of maintaining U.S. global leadership in biotechnology.

Statistics:

  • 6 bills were introduced by Senators Alex Padilla and Todd Young to strengthen America's food security and agriculture supply chains.
  • The Agriculture and National Security Act aims to establish an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for National Security within the USDA.
  • 25% of the world's biotechnology research takes place in the United States (Source: NSCEB Report).
  • $1.8 billion was allocated to the USDA BioPreferred Program in 2022 (Source: USDA Budget).
  • The Foundation for Enabling Biotechnology Innovation Act would ease regulatory burdens on biotechnology commercialization.
  • 90% of food products in the United States contain biotechnology-based ingredients (Source: Biotechnology Innovation Organization).

Sources:

  • California Senator Alex Padilla
  • Todd Young, Chairman of the NSCEB
  • National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB)
  • National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
  • USDA Budget
  • Biotechnology Innovation Organization