Corporate Responsibility

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Corporate Responsibility

Pledge Award Finalist

Global Field-Trial Compliance Protocol Facilitates Effective Stewardship
Conducting field trial research with genetically modified crops can be especially challenging in developing countries with new and potentially limited biosafety frameworks and government oversight. To encourage effective and appropriate stewardship in those situations, the Biotechnology Stewardship project team of CropLife International, co-led by Monsanto, developed a compliance management protocol for conducting field trials of genetically modified crops.

The protocol provides general information and specific technical guidance to help assure countries that the field trials within their borders will be safe, environmentally responsible, and compliant. It serves as a resource for researchers and a model for national guidelines in developing countries where regulations do not currently exist. CropLife International continues to implement outreach activities. Through training workshops and press conferences, it shares the protocol manual with international and regional organizations.

This is one of the first examples of industry collaboration in developing biotechnology best practices and strategically planning global outreach. Our goal for this project is to enable safe, environmentally responsible, and legally compliant management of genetically modified crop field trials, particularly by researchers in the developing world, where the benefits of agricultural biotechnology offer so much hope.