U.S. May Set System for Biotech-Free Crops

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it may create a voluntary system to verify whether shipments of crops were genetically altered. The move comes as the U.S. begins market-opening talks with its World Trade Organization partners, many of which oppose or are ambivalent about biotech crops.

Under the proposed industry-funded system, companies could choose to detail to the USDA how they keep products separate from gene-altered crops at all levels of the food chain. Federal inspectors would review a company’s system and verify that minimum requirements for crop production, handling and processing were followed.