Earlier this month, USSEC talked to the East European feed industry regarding the impact of biotech approval delays in the European Union.  Senior Technical Consultant David Green spoke on the issue of global acceptance of biotechnology and the USSEC Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) at the 21^st Croatian annual feed industry association symposium in Opatija, Croatia.  The meeting attracted more than 250 feed industry representatives, scientists and government officials from Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Mr. Green described the ready acceptance of biotech crops by farmers worldwide and particularly in the Americas.  He detailed the issues surrounding trade as more and more biotech crops are planted.  He especially emphasized that the delays in biotech approvals in the European Union have had an adverse financial impact on EU livestock, dairy and poultry producers when unapproved crops which have been commercialized elsewhere are found in EU imports.  One incident was estimated to have cost the EU industry $5 billion in lost production and higher costs in sourcing import replacements.  Mr. Green received numerous requests for the presentation which showed the pipeline of biotech soybean events destined for commercialization.
Prior to the feed industry association meeting, Mr. Green attended a reception at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Zagreb which honored more than 50 Croatian participants in the USDA’s Cochran Scholarship program.