RNA Interference-Based Pesticides Represent a Paradigm Shift in Crop Protection That Regulators Are Not Prepared For

Topically-applied dsRNA pesticides are sequence-specific in target organisms but face a regulatory framework designed for small-molecule agrichemicals. The mismatch is producing risk-assessment incoherence on both sides of the precaution debate.

Already published in this series

• Golden Rice Cleared Every Safety Review by 2021. What Has Kept It From Farmers Since Is Litigation, Not Science. October 25, 2026 · 26 min read
• Science Journalists Are Not Equipped to Cover Plant Biotechnology — Here Is the Evidence May 9, 2026 · 24 min read
• Sub-Saharan Africa's Plant Science Research Infrastructure Is Being Built on Donor Dependency — That Must Change April 30, 2026 · 28 min read
• Elevated CO₂ Does Not Uniformly Benefit Crop Yields, and the Fertilization Narrative That Claims Otherwise Has a Funded Lineage and a Measurable Policy Cost April 23, 2026 · 22 min read