Islam A. Siddiqui (Hindi :इस्लामसिद्दिक़ी) is an Indian-American scientist,and government official,and lobbyist who served as the Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Prior to this,he was Vice President for Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America,and a career official in the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Siddiqui earned a Bachelor of Science degree in plant protection from G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar,India,and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology,both from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. [2] [3]
Siddiqui served the Clinton Administration in several capacities from 1997 to 2001. At the United States Department of Agriculture,Siddiqui was Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs,Senior Trade Advisor to Secretary Dan Glickman,and Deputy Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. Before joining USDA,Siddiqui spent 28 years with the California Department of Food and Agriculture. [4]
From 2004 to 2009,Dr. Siddiqui served on the United States Department of Commerce's Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Chemicals,Pharmaceuticals,and Health/Science Products and Services,which advises the United States Secretary of Commerce and United States Trade Representative on international trade issues related to these sectors. From 2001 and 2003,Siddiqui was appointed as Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies,where he focused on agricultural biotechnology and food security issues.
From 2001 to 2008,Siddiqui was a registered lobbyist with CropLife America,representing biotechnology companies including BASF,Bayer CropScience,Dow AgroSciences,DuPont,FMC Corp.,Monsanto,Sumitomo,and Syngenta.
On April 2,2010,President Barack Obama named Siddiqui to the post of Chief Agricultural Negotiator in a recess appointment. Siddiqui's previous nomination to the position remained on the Senate docket for more than a year and a half. His nomination was reported to the Senate floor from the United States Senate Committee on Finance on October 11,2011,and senators finally voted to confirm Siddiqui as part of an en bloc group of nominations confirmed early in the morning hours of October 21,2011. [5] [6] [7] Siddiqui submitted his resignation December 12,2013. [8]
Siddiqui is a supporter of genetically modified foods for human consumption,and repudiates their potential health risks. In 1999,he worked against the mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods in Japan,stating that such labeling "would suggest a health risk where there is none." [9] In 2003,he criticized the European Union's precautionary rejection of the importation of genetically modified foods,stating that the ban was tantamount to "denying food to starving people." [10] In 2009 he called for a "second green revolution" employing biotechnology and genetic engineering. [11]
In 1998,as Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the United States Department of Agriculture,Siddiqui oversaw the release of the National Organic Program's standards for organic food labeling. The standards permitted both irradiated and genetically modified foods to be labeled as organic. [12] (The standards were subsequently revised in response to public opposition.)
In 2005,speaking on behalf of CropLife America,Siddiqui stated his satisfaction with the defeat of local propositions in California that would have banned cultivation of genetically modified crops. [13]
Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services.
Genetically modified maize (corn) is a genetically modified crop. Specific maize strains have been genetically engineered to express agriculturally-desirable traits,including resistance to pests and to herbicides. Maize strains with both traits are now in use in multiple countries. GM maize has also caused controversy with respect to possible health effects,impact on other insects and impact on other plants via gene flow. One strain,called Starlink,was approved only for animal feed in the US but was found in food,leading to a series of recalls starting in 2000.
Genetic engineering,also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation,is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells,including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms.
Genetically modified foods,also known as genetically engineered foods,or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using various methods of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering techniques allow for the introduction of new traits as well as greater control over traits when compared to previous methods,such as selective breeding and mutation breeding.
Genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture,the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. In most cases,the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests,diseases,environmental conditions,reduction of spoilage,resistance to chemical treatments,or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents,biofuels,and other industrially useful goods,as well as for bioremediation.
Since the advent of genetic engineering in the 1970s,concerns have been raised about the dangers of the technology. Laws,regulations,and treaties were created in the years following to contain genetically modified organisms and prevent their escape. Nevertheless,there are several examples of failure to keep GM crops separate from conventional ones.
Genetically modified food controversies are disputes over the use of foods and other goods derived from genetically modified crops instead of conventional crops,and other uses of genetic engineering in food production. The disputes involve consumers,farmers,biotechnology companies,governmental regulators,non-governmental organizations,and scientists. The key areas of controversy related to genetically modified food are whether such food should be labeled,the role of government regulators,the objectivity of scientific research and publication,the effect of genetically modified crops on health and the environment,the effect on pesticide resistance,the impact of such crops for farmers,and the role of the crops in feeding the world population. In addition,products derived from GMO organisms play a role in the production of ethanol fuels and pharmaceuticals.
The United States is the largest grower of commercial crops that have been genetically engineered in the world,but not without domestic and international opposition.
The Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology,proposed in 1984 by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and finalized in 1986,spells out the basic federal policy for regulating the development and introduction of products derived from biotechnology.
The Non-GMO Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focusing on genetically modified organisms. The organization began as an initiative of independent natural foods retailers in the U.S. and Canada,with the stated aim to label products produced in compliance with their Non-GMO Project Standard,which aims to prevent genetically modified foodstuffs from being present in retail food products. The organization is headquartered in Bellingham,Washington. The Non-GMO label began use in 2012 with Numi Organic Tea products.
A genetically modified soybean is a soybean that has had DNA introduced into it using genetic engineering techniques. In 1996,the first genetically modified soybean was introduced to the U.S. by Monsanto. In 2014,90.7 million hectares of GM soybeans were planted worldwide,making up 82% of the total soybeans cultivation area.
Genetically modified canola is a genetically modified crop. The first strain,Roundup Ready canola,was developed by Monsanto for tolerance to glyphosate,the active ingredient in the commonly used herbicide Roundup.
Mendocino County,California,was the first jurisdiction in the United States to ban the cultivation,production or distribution of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The ordinance,entitled Measure H,was passed by referendum on March 2,2004. Initiated by the group "GMO Free Mendocino",the campaign was a highly publicized grassroots effort by local farmers and environmental groups who contend that the potential risks of GMOs to human health and the ecosystem have not yet been fully understood. The measure was met with opposition by several interest groups representing the biotechnology industry,The California Plant Health Association and CropLife America,a Washington-based consortium whose clients represent some of the largest food distributors in the nation,including Monsanto,DuPont and Dow Chemical. Since the enactment of the ordinance,Mendocino County has been added to an international list of "GMO free zones." Pre-emptive statutes banning local municipalities from such ordinances have now become widespread with adoption in sixteen states.
The regulation of genetic engineering varies widely by country. Countries such as the United States,Canada,Lebanon and Egypt use substantial equivalence as the starting point when assessing safety,while many countries such as those in the European Union,Brazil and China authorize GMO cultivation on a case-by-case basis. Many countries allow the import of GM food with authorization,but either do not allow its cultivation or have provisions for cultivation,but no GM products are yet produced. Most countries that do not allow for GMO cultivation do permit research. Most (85%) of the world's GMO crops are grown in the Americas. One of the key issues concerning regulators is whether GM products should be labeled. Labeling of GMO products in the marketplace is required in 64 countries. Labeling can be mandatory up to a threshold GM content level or voluntary. A study investigating voluntary labeling in South Africa found that 31% of products labeled as GMO-free had a GM content above 1.0%. In Canada and the US labeling of GM food is voluntary,while in Europe all food or feed which contains greater than 0.9% of approved GMOs must be labelled.
Genetic engineering in the European Union has varying degrees of regulation.
The March Against Monsanto was an international grassroots movement and protest against Monsanto,a producer of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and Roundup,a glyphosate-based herbicide. The movement was founded by Tami Canal in response to the failure of California Proposition 37,a ballot initiative which would have required labeling food products made from GMOs. Advocates support mandatory labeling laws for food made from GMOs.
The StarLink corn recalls occurred in the autumn of 2000,when over 300 food products were found to contain a genetically modified corn that had not been approved for human consumption. It was the first-ever recall of a genetically modified food. The anti-GMO activist coalition Genetically Engineered Food Alert,which detected and first reported the contamination,was critical of the FDA for not doing its job. The recall of Taco Bell-branded taco shells,manufactured by Kraft Foods and sold in supermarkets,was the most publicized of the recalls. One settlement resulted in $60 million going to Taco Bell franchisees for lost sales due to the damage to the Taco Bell brand.
New Breeding Techniques (NBT),also named New Plant Engineering Techniques, are a suite of methods that could increase and accelerate the development of new traits in plant breeding. These new techniques,often involve 'genome editing' whose intention is to modify DNA at specific locations within the plants' genes so that new traits and properties are produced in crop plants.
India and China are the two largest producers of genetically modified products in Asia. India currently only grows GM cotton,while China produces GM varieties of cotton,poplar,petunia,tomato,papaya and sweet pepper. Cost of enforcement of regulations in India are generally higher,possibly due to the greater influence farmers and small seed firms have on policy makers,while the enforcement of regulations was more effective in China. Other Asian countries that grew GM crops in 2011 were Pakistan,the Philippines and Myanmar. GM crops were approved for commercialisation in Bangladesh in 2013 and in Vietnam and Indonesia in 2014.
Genetic engineering in North America is any genetic engineering activities in North America