How the US Government is Planning to Approve Contamination of the World’s Food Supply with Experimental GM Crops

This briefing paper by Friends of the Earth International argues that the US government is implementing a policy to make the contamination of the food supply with experimental genetically modified (GM) crops 'acceptable.' The document details the risks of such contamination, the lack of rigorous regulation for field trials, and the potential for these traits to spread globally through US food exports.

• In 2002, the Bush Administration issued a directive through the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) that would allow 'intermittent, low levels' of genes and proteins from experimental GM field tests to be considered 'acceptable' in conventional crops or seeds.
• The USDA's implementation of the OSTP directive lacks a defined maximum level of permissible contamination, and the agency has no plans to develop or require tests to measure the level and frequency of experimental GM contamination.
• The FDA's draft guidance for implementing the directive relies on voluntary consultation by companies and does not require animal tests or advanced analytical techniques to detect unintended effects, such as toxins or nutrient deficiencies.
• The EPA may use 'temporary tolerances' to allow GM contamination in food only for the duration it takes for the products to pass through the distribution chain, which the document describes as a legal mechanism to protect companies from liability.
• Experimental GM crops pose various health and environmental risks, including the production of allergens (such as PR proteins and Bt toxins), nutritional deficits in animal feed, and the creation of toxic substances like barnase or pharmaceutical compounds (e.g., aprotinin and avidin).
• Corporate secrecy is increasing in GM field trials; the percentage of permits containing genes listed as 'confidential business information' (CBI) rose from 0% in 1987 to 69% in 2002, making it difficult to identify and test for contaminants.
• The US government and industry groups, including the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), are seeking a 'harmonized global approval system' to ensure that other countries adopt similar regulatory standards for low-level GM presence.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2004). How the US Government is Planning to Approve Contamination of the World’s Food Supply with Experimental GM Crops. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/contamination.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. How the US Government is Planning to Approve Contamination of the World’s Food Supply with Experimental GM Crops. 2004. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/contamination.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=How the US Government is Planning to Approve Contamination of the World’s Food Supply with Experimental GM Crops |date=November 2004 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/contamination.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2004how, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{How the US Government is Planning to Approve Contamination of the World’s Food Supply with Experimental GM Crops}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2004}, month = nov, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/contamination.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }