Regulatory hurdles for transgenic biofuel crops

Abstract

Policy-makers have described the many potential benefits that biofuels can provide, but there are numerous challenges in realizing this potential. The technical hurdles to producing biofuels economically and on a scale to replace a significant fraction of petroleum-based transportation fuels have been well described, along with the potential environmental concerns. The use of biotechnology can potentially address many of these technical challenges and environmental concerns, but brings significant regulatory obstacles that have not been discussed extensively in the scientific community. This review will give an overview of some of the approaches being developed to produce transgenic biofuel feedstocks, particularly cellulosic ethanol, and the regulatory process in the United States that oversees the introduction of new transgenic plants. We hope to illustrate that the level of regulation for transgenic organisms is not proportional to their potential risk to human health or to the environment, and that while revisions to the regulatory system in the USA are currently under consideration, further modifications are necessary to reflect the risk level of transgenic crops and realize their benefits. © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd