2013 BQMS Recognition

The USDA’s Biotechnology Quality Management System (BQMS) was to be a comprehensive mitigation effort aimed squarely at those conducting field trials. Excellence Through Stewardship was portrayed as “a mile wide but only an inch deep.” Along with being relatively pricy for service providers, universities, and non-corporate entities, ETS was not meeting customer expectations. The farm moved to a more focused program and officially gained recognition in 2013. Services in support of the program slowly faded, and the USDA eventually made the program unofficially available for use. In 2023, the Illinois Crop Improvement Association rejoined the Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS) program.