I am especially proud to recognize our Agency's transgenic arthropod virtual team for earning Vice President Gore's Hammer Award. The team's work exemplifies the values and goals of a forward-thinking organization, which we value highly at USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Congratulations on behalf of myself and all yo ur colleagues. We could continue ripping up fragile land and forests, and pump more pesticides into the ground. I couldn't agree more.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
And necessity is certainly the mother of biotechnology in regard to the productivity and environmental demands of the future. It holds the key to our success in the developing world markets and in feeding growing populations using environmentally and scientifically sound methods. Simply put, our Agency's primary role is to oversee the introduction of genetically engineered plants and invertebrates to ensure that tests are conducted in ways that pose no significant impact on the environment or on agriculture. Ten years ago, we developed the USDA's first biotechnology regulations. While this industry has undergone unprecedented growth and change over the past 10 years, we remain committed to our Agency's overriding mission of protecting U.S. agriculture.