Hundreds of producers, processors, merchandisers and service providers in the industry are expected to attend the event.

Emily Whiston of EnviroLogix, a global leader in the development of rapid GMO and mycotoxin detection technology, will speak on the radical transformation that CRISPR and other gene editing tools can have in agriculture, and how the industry is reacting to this.

Special attention will be given to which technologies qualify as genetically modifying, and where the industry sits on that fence.

From the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Gregory Jaffee, biotechnology project director, will present “Potential Impacts of the USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard.”

This new set of laws are destined to become the benchmark for all things scientifically-created or altered in the food world, helping to define “bioengineering” and the threshold for GMO presence in a food product.

Additionally, the standard will establish uniform labeling for disclosing information about bioengineered food and food ingredient content.

Jaffee’s perspective as an international expert on agricultural biotechnology and biosafety will provide a comprehensive view of what is to come with the new legislation.

Following along creating a seamless and transparent sector for consumers and operators alike, Gwendolyn Wyard, vice-president of regulatory and technical affairs for the Organic Trade Association (OTA), will shine a light on the ongoing concerns about food disclosure and fraud in the organic sector.

In “Addressing Vulnerability to Fraud: A GOSCI Task Force Update,” Wyard will highlight the efforts of the Global Organic Supply Chain Integrity (GOSCI), which is a 48-member trade group formed in 2017 by the OTA to develop a fraud prevention program designed specifically for the organic industry.

Thus far, the group has created a comprehensive “best practices” guide to facilitate the industry-wide implementation of systems and measures to preserve the integrity of organic, both inside and outside of the United States, and is presently overseeing a pilot to prevent and detect fraud in the global organic system.

More information is available at www.ongforum.com.