Public Regulation of Agricultural Biotechnology Field Tests: Economic Implications of Alternative Approaches

Abstract

Federal oversight of agricultural biotechnology field testing is based on public concerns that unknown consequences could arise from such tests, and that firms may not adequately consider the public consequences of their research and development activities. In this paper, four general types of ex ante and ex post approaches to manage public risks from field testing are explored. The analysis shows that the approaches are least effective at facilitating the research process yet controlling public risks when the research firm is small in size and potential damages exceed the value of the firm.