Gm Foods Case Study
Alternatives Status quo: One alternative to solving the main problem in this case is to adhere the status quo. This means continuing regulating the genetically modified foods through The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies. The main issue with this approach is the history of inadequate standards presented by these agencies. All of the three organizations take a passive approach toward regulating the genetically modified foods, and therefore have received much criticism regarding their effectiveness. Although this alternative requires minimal change, there is little control of the situation involved with this approach. Improve current agencies: Increasing regulation among the three current agencies is another alternative to improve regulation of GM foods. The United States government must ensure that all three agencies accurately fulfill their purpose. It is also imperative that the FDA, EPA, and USDA eliminate any gaps, overlaps, and inconsistencies within the regulatory system since they share the responsibility of GM foods. Communication among agencies is one area that may be strengthened in order to coordinate final regulatory decisions.
…show more content…
Each agency should also be examined to ensure that they are up to date with current products and conditions of approval. (Starlink) Central agency: Creating a central agency to oversee the approval and use of GM products is another alternative to increase regulation.
This agency (Agency X) would take on the responsibilities of the FDA, EPA, and USDA organizations regarding GM foods. Agency X would focus on the human health safety of products that result from biotechnology including foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and pest control products. (Central) They would also be required to assess the safety of plants, animal feeds and animal feed ingredients, fertilizers, and veterinary biologics. (Central) Creating a central agency to specialize directly in genetically modified foods will eliminate the many holes left by the FDA, EPA, and
USDA.
Decision Criteria Money, time, difficulty, and resources are the key factors to solving this problem. Money is important because, with the exception of status quo, the alternatives will require money in order to meet the required standards. The U.S. government must decide if it is worth spending more money to increase the reliability of its GM foods regulation. The second factor that the government must consider is time. Assuming that this case will gain a lot of attention, it is crucial that the U.S acquires credibility as fast as possible. Regulating GM foods quickly and efficiently is the best way to address the problem. Difficulty is the third aspect that must be considered. With three agencies regulating the distribution of GM foods, things can quickly become chaotic. In order to increase the regulation of GM foods, the government must not only choose the fastest alternative, but one that will be easy to implement and administer. The fourth aspect that must be considered is resources. The government must determine what resources it already has, and how they can be applied to their solution. Such resources may include regulations that are already in place and technology needed to test crops.
Evaluation: | Money | Time | Difficulty | Resources | Total | Status Quo | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Improve Current Agencies | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | Central Agency | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
The quantitative matrix demonstrates status quo as the appropriate alternative. This is because it requires less money, time, difficulty, and new resources. However, given the current outbreak of GM foods, it can be determined that the regulatory system that is in place is not effective enough to prevent the contamination of human food. Therefore, another alternative must be considered. The matrix also demonstrates the options of improving current agencies and creating a central agency as equal alternatives. Closer consideration shows that improving the current agencies will require more time and will be more difficult. In turn, creating a central agency will cost more money, and will require more resources. After examining the two alternatives, creating a central agency to regulate the distribution of GM products can be seen as the most efficient alternative to solving the problem. This is because
Solution:
The solution to the problem definition is to implement a central agency to oversee the use and approval of GM foods. This means that the FDA, EPA, and USDA would no longer have the responsibility of monitoring GM foods.
One of the biggest concerns regarding the Kraft case is how the StarLink corn made its way into the human food supply. An online publication states, “Regulators at first suspected that some StarLink growers may have ignored agreements not to sell StarLink corn to mills using the flour for human foods. Later interviews with growers, however, revealed that many farmers may not have been clearly instructed not to sell the corn for human use, or were told that the unapproved variety would be approved by harvest time.” (TACO) This statement insinuates that many farmers sold the unapproved corn directly to the mills and it is unknown at which points the supply of corn was contaminated with StarLink. In turn, this proposes a greater problem given that a larger amount of corn products may be contaminated. This also suggests that genetically modified corn must be further regulated in order to eliminate future controversies.
Each agency should also be examined to ensure that they are up to date with current products and conditions of approval. (Starlink) Central agency: Creating a central agency to oversee the approval and use of GM products is another alternative to increase regulation.
This agency (Agency X) would take on the responsibilities of the FDA, EPA, and USDA organizations regarding GM foods. Agency X would focus on the human health safety of products that result from biotechnology including foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and pest control products. (Central) They would also be required to assess the safety of plants, animal feeds and animal feed ingredients, fertilizers, and veterinary biologics. (Central) Creating a central agency to specialize directly in genetically modified foods will eliminate the many holes left by the FDA, EPA, and
USDA.
Decision Criteria Money, time, difficulty, and resources are the key factors to solving this problem. Money is important because, with the exception of status quo, the alternatives will require money in order to meet the required standards. The U.S. government must decide if it is worth spending more money to increase the reliability of its GM foods regulation. The second factor that the government must consider is time. Assuming that this case will gain a lot of attention, it is crucial that the U.S acquires credibility as fast as possible. Regulating GM foods quickly and efficiently is the best way to address the problem. Difficulty is the third aspect that must be considered. With three agencies regulating the distribution of GM foods, things can quickly become chaotic. In order to increase the regulation of GM foods, the government must not only choose the fastest alternative, but one that will be easy to implement and administer. The fourth aspect that must be considered is resources. The government must determine what resources it already has, and how they can be applied to their solution. Such resources may include regulations that are already in place and technology needed to test crops.
Evaluation: | Money | Time | Difficulty | Resources | Total | Status Quo | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Improve Current Agencies | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | Central Agency | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
The quantitative matrix demonstrates status quo as the appropriate alternative. This is because it requires less money, time, difficulty, and new resources. However, given the current outbreak of GM foods, it can be determined that the regulatory system that is in place is not effective enough to prevent the contamination of human food. Therefore, another alternative must be considered. The matrix also demonstrates the options of improving current agencies and creating a central agency as equal alternatives. Closer consideration shows that improving the current agencies will require more time and will be more difficult. In turn, creating a central agency will cost more money, and will require more resources. After examining the two alternatives, creating a central agency to regulate the distribution of GM products can be seen as the most efficient alternative to solving the problem. This is because
Solution:
The solution to the problem definition is to implement a central agency to oversee the use and approval of GM foods. This means that the FDA, EPA, and USDA would no longer have the responsibility of monitoring GM foods.
One of the biggest concerns regarding the Kraft case is how the StarLink corn made its way into the human food supply. An online publication states, “Regulators at first suspected that some StarLink growers may have ignored agreements not to sell StarLink corn to mills using the flour for human foods. Later interviews with growers, however, revealed that many farmers may not have been clearly instructed not to sell the corn for human use, or were told that the unapproved variety would be approved by harvest time.” (TACO) This statement insinuates that many farmers sold the unapproved corn directly to the mills and it is unknown at which points the supply of corn was contaminated with StarLink. In turn, this proposes a greater problem given that a larger amount of corn products may be contaminated. This also suggests that genetically modified corn must be further regulated in order to eliminate future controversies.