ETS Overview
Stewardship is defined as the responsible management of a product from its inception through to its ultimate use and discontinuation. In plant biotechnology, stewardship includes careful attention to the responsible introduction and use of products.
EXCELLENCE THROUGH STEWARDSHIP is the first biotechnology industry-coordinated initiative to promote the global adoption of stewardship programs and quality management systems for the full life cycle of biotechnology-derived plant products.
ETS’s mission is to promote the responsible management of plant biotechnology, primarily by developing and encouraging implementation of product stewardship practices and by educating the public about those practices.
This progressive stewardship initiative builds on the biotechnology industry’s commitment to product stewardship and quality management. While many organizations already have stewardship programs and quality management systems in place, ETS members adopt and abide by Stewardship Objectives, Principles and Management Practices, which are verified by third-party audits.
Excellence Through Stewardship Components
- Stewardship Objectives, Principles and Management Practices that members are required to adopt and abide by to contribute to responsible product management.
- Guides to Understanding and Implementing Stewardship Programs and Quality Management Systems that promote stewardship and quality management practices for the responsible use of biotechnology-derived plant products globally.
- A Global Stewardship Audit Process that involves members contracting for independent third-party audits of their operations to verify that stewardship programs and quality-management systems are in place.
Guides
Any organization engaged in discovering, developing or commercializing biotechnology-derived plant products should have stewardship programs and quality management systems that are tailored to the type and scope of its operations and activities. To support these endeavors, ETS provides the following Guides on the development and implementation of stewardship programs and quality management systems.
Stewardship Audits
Excellence Through Stewardship members are leading the implementation of the global stewardship initiative by first "self-certifying" that appropriate stewardship programs and quality management systems exist in their operations, and then receiving third-party audits to verify that they are in place. Audits are performed using protocols that are applicable to the organization’s specific activities and operations at specified intervals and at member expense. Qualified Auditors who provide this service must complete and fulfill requirements of the Excellence Through Stewardship® Auditor Training Program.
Membership
Membership and participation in Excellence Through Stewardship is encouraged for all companies and institutions engaged in discovering, developing, or commercializing biotechnology-derived plant products (e.g., biotechnology commodity crops, specialty crops, energy crops, perennials, ornamentals, plant-made pharmaceuticals and plant-made industrial products).
Regular members are:
- large companies;
- emerging companies and
- academic/research and governmental organizations which conduct plant biotechnology research or development.
An ETS membership begins on the date an application is approved and is a one-year term, the dues are pro-rated for those joining mid-year. All prospective members must successfully complete an application process, and fulfill the conditions of ETS membership.
Associate memberships are available for any not-for-profit organization, academic institution, government entity or individual that supports plant biotechnology and the Excellence Through Stewardship mission, but is not directly involved in research, development, or manufacture of plant biotechnology products.