ORACBA RISK FORUM
May 13, 2008
10:00 – 11:30 am
WAOB Conference Rm. 4433, So. Agriculture Building Agricultural Nanotechnology: Upstream Assessment of Risk and Oversight
Prof. Jennifer Kuzma, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota

Recently, nanotechnology and regulatory policy have been receiving more attention in public and academic circles. However, oversight issues associated with nanotechnology applications for agricultural and food systems remain largely unexplored. Agrifood nanotechnology is at a critical stage of development in which informed analysis can help shape funding priorities, risk assessment, and oversight activities. In this talk, I will present the approach and results of two projects that were designed to help society and policy makers anticipate and prepare for challenges posed by convergent applications of agrifood nanotechnology:1) an analysis of agrifood nanotechnology R&D projects, including a taxonomy of types of technologies, endpoints in the farm to table continuum, and qualitative risk-benefit rankings, and 2) a case-study approach for more in-depth study of the risk, regulatory, and societal issues that may be associated with select products resulting from R&D. The goals of both projects were to identify data, risk assessment, regulatory policy, and engagement needs for overseeing these products so they can be addressed prior to market entry. Our approach, termed Upstream Oversight Assessment (UOA), has potential as a key element of anticipatory governance.

Government employees, please bring your government ID. If you are not a government employee, please call (202-720-8022 or 202-720-8024) or e-mail Jennifer Callahan (jcallahan@oce.usda.gov) to register. You will need to bring a picture ID to enter the building. Enter the USDA South Building at Wing 1, the Independence Avenue entrance by the Metro station. Room 4433 is on the 4 th floor of the 4 th Wing in a limited access section of the building. Someone will meet you at the locked doors to let you into the seminar room.

ORACBA ACTIVITIES

ORACBA's director, James Schaub, will present the "Federal Review and Clearance Perspective," as part of the panel discussion "The Role of Economics in Animal and Plant Health Protection Regulations," at the 2008 AAEA Annual Meeting to be held July 27-29 in Orlando, FL.

Eliza Mojudszka's paper, "The optimal use of ex-ante and ex-post food safety control mechanisms with endogenous risk," presented on December 10, 2007, at the 2007 Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas is now available.

Powell, M., A. Scott, E. Ebel. 2008. Analyzing BSE surveillance in low pervalence countries. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 83(3-4): 337-346. is now available. Reprints available from Mark Powell.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

The Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN) is offering a Summer Integrated Program for Food Safety Risk Analysis. These courses provide high quality training and the opportunity to interact with food safety professionals from around the world.

Registration is now open for classes that begin July 7, 2008.

Learn more JIFSAN courses.

For questions contact: Judy Quigley, JIFSAN Conference and Communications Coordinator, 301-405-1696.

JIFSAN is a partnership between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the University of Maryland. The Professional Development Training Program in Food Safety Risk Analysis serves the risk analysis training needs of the U.S.FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, and is open to food safety professionals worldwide.