unitedstatesdepartmentofagriculture.docVIP

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON, D.C. x : ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON : BIOTECHNOLOGY AND 21ST CENTURY : AGRICULTURE : : x A meeting in the above-entitled matter was held on August 30, 2011, commencing at 8:54 a.m. at USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Rooms 104A and 107A, Washington, D.C. 20250. Russell Redding, Committee Chair Michael Schechtman, Executive Secretary Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture  APPEARANCES Stuart Bender, Director of Office of Ethics Russell Redding, Chair Michael Schechtman, Executive Secretary Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture Committee Members: Isaura Andaluz Paul C. Anderson Laura Batcha Charles M. Benbrook Barry R. Bushue Daryl D. Buss Lynn E. Clarkson Leon C. Corzine Michael S. Funk Douglas C. Coehring Melissa L. Hughes Darrin Ihnen Gregory A. Jaffe David W. Johnson Alan Kemper Keith F. Kisling Josephine (Josette) Lewis Mary-Howell R. Martens Marty D. Matlock Angela M. Olsen Jerome B. Slocum Latresia A. Wilson Non-USDA Officials: Robert Frederick Jack Bobo Sharon Bomer Public Comments: Michael Sligh Colin ONeil  P R O C E E D I N G S MR. SCHECHTMAN: Good morning everyone. Well get started a moment or two early here. Can people hear me in the other room? Great. This is the first meeting of the U.S. Department of Agricultures Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture or AC21. The Secretary of Agriculture has brought back the AC21 after a hiatus of about two and a half years. I hope that everyones travels here werent complicated too much by the storm. Weve had more than the usual excitement around D.C. over the last week or so. Before I forget, let me ask everyone to please shut off your phones and blackberries. They interfere with the transcript which were preparing for this meeting. It creates a hum in it. So please shut off your devices. My name is