Development of An OECD Document On Sorghum: An Opportunity to Assess the Risk of Genetic Modification.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was established in 1961 in Paris, France.  Currently there are 34 member countries.  It provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems as a means of driving economic, social, and environmental change.  International standards are set on a wide range of topics, from measuring subjective human well-being to taxes to chemical safety.  The OECD also conducts risk assessment and establishes guidelines for the deployment and regulation of genetically modified (GM) crops, which are developed into consensus documents and used by member countries to make informed decisions.  Once a consensus document has been approved by the OECD it is freely available on their website.  Early in 2013 an English-version consensus document on sorghum biology was submitted to the OECD for discussion.  The United States and South Africa acted as co-lead countries in its development to represent the latest knowledge about sorghum taxonomy, reproductive biology, genetics (including gene flow and the potential for introgression with wild relatives), ecology, insect pests, pathogens, and biotechnological advances.  Australia provided additional guidance and comments prior to submission.  The document was then translated into French by the United States to facilitate its wider accessibility.  These efforts provide a timely springboard for OECD members to refer to when making their own decisions whether GM sorghum ought to be approved for wide use in agriculture, and where that will likely occur.  Sorghum is native to sub-Saharan Africa and is grown widely in Africa, Asia, Australia, and North and South America.  It ranks fifth in worldwide cereal production behind wheat, rice, maize, and barley.  In 2012 it was approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as an advanced biofuel.  Thus, decisions addressing the deployment of GM sorghum will be far-reaching for this important crop.