APSA 2025 Plant Breeding Innovation Webinar entitled “Recent Progress in the Global Regulation of Genome Editing in Plants” will feature two presentations outlining the developments in the US and APAC region followed by a Q&A session.
| TIME | AGENDA |
| 9.00 – 9.05 |
Opening remarks |
| 9.05 – 9.25 | PBI regulatory and product development in the US Dr. Fan-Li Chou, Senior Vice President for Scientific Affairs and Policy, American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) |
| 9.25 – 9.45 | PBI regulatory update in the APAC region Mr. Michael Leader, Chair, APSA Standing Committee on Plant Breeding Innovation |
| 9.45 – 9.55 | Q&A |
| 9.55 – 10.00 | Wrap up Dr Shivendra Bajaj |
Dr. Fan-Li Chou
Senior Vice President for Scientific Affairs and Policy
American Seed Trade Association
Profile:
Fan-Li Chou is the Senior Vice President for Scientific Affairs and Policy at the American Seed Trade Association, where she leads ASTA initiatives on plant breeding innovation, intellectual property rights, domestic and international regulatory policies. Prior to ASTA, Fan-Li served at USDA for over 10 years, including as the Agricultural Biotechnology Advisor to the Office of the Secretary and in positions with the Foreign Agricultural Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. She is an accomplished policy and program leader, with expertise in agricultural biotechnology regulatory, trade issues, and multilateral negotiations.
Abstract:
Plant breeding innovation such as genome editing is poised to transform plant biotechnology in the United States, driven by regulatory flexibility and technological innovation. The U.S. regulatory framework involves three Federal agencies, Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the last several years, each agency has established streamlining and exemption processes for PBI plants. The regulatory framework has lowered barriers for small and mid-sized developers and led to increasing diversification of the use of PBI into vegetables, fruits, and bioenergy crops. However, opportunities for improvement remain, including enhancing the adaptability of the regulatory framework to keep pace with innovation.
Mr. Michael Leader
Regulatory Policy and Stakeholder Engagement
Bayer CropScience
Profile:
Michael Leader is responsible for regulatory policy and stakeholder engagement for Bayer CropScience in Asia. In this role he drives engagement with key scientific stakeholders to advance science-based regulation of agricultural innovations, and to make Bayer a credible scientific partner of choice in the region. He is currently Chair of the Asia Pacific Seed Alliance’s Plant Breeding Innovation Standing Committee and immediate past-Chair of CropLife Asia’s gene editing taskforce. In previous roles in Bayer, he has led the APSA’s International Trade and Quarantine Standing Committee as well as the International Seed Federation’s phytosanitary committee, and been elected to the position of President of the Australian Seed Federation. He has also worked in government biotechnology and quarantine regulatory agencies in Australia, as well as in international life science industry associations. Michael has a Law Degree and a Science (First Class Honors) Degree in molecular biology.
Abstract:
Michael will cover recent positive developments in the Asia Pacific region, which is seeing a new wave of government decisions relating to the regulation of new plant breeding innovations. These include implementation of new exemption pathways in Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand, as well as policy statements in Vietnam and Pakistan, and ongoing approvals, applications and expert discussions in other countries.
| Countries/Territories | Time Zones | Event Time |
| Iowa, USA | UTC -05:00 | 21:00 – 22:00 |
| Israel, Lebanon | UTC +02:00 | 4:00 - 5:00 |
| Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Turkey | UTC +03:00 | 5:00 - 6:00 |
| Iran | UTC +03:30 | 5:30 – 6:30 |
| Pakistan | UTC +05:00 | 7:00 - 8:00 |
| India, Sri Lanka | UTC +05:30 | 7:30 – 8:30 |
| Nepal | UTC +05:45 | 7:45 – 8:45 |
| Bangladesh, Krygyztan | UTC +06:00 | 8:00 - 9:00 |
| Myanmar | UTC +06:30 | 8:30 - 9:30 |
| Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam | UTC +07:00 | 9:00 - 10:00 |
| China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong-China, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore | UTC +08:00 | 10:00 - 11:00 |
| Japan, South Korea | UTC +09:00 | 11:00 - 12:00 |
| Australia (Canberra) | UTC +11:00 | 13:00 - 14:00 |
| New Zealand (Wellington) | UTC +13:00 | 15:00 - 16:00 |