U.S. government approvals of biotech traits should be less time consuming and more predictable in the near future because of new procedures adopted by regulators, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials told Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) board members recently.

The USDA has completed a revamping of its approval process for biotech traits and is now working through a backlog of applications, said Michael Firko of the biotechnology office of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). "The process is moving faster now. It’s not yet where we want it to be, ...