Regulation has been central to the debate on the use of agricultural biotechnology due to possible safety implications for the environment and human health on one hand and non-safety implications including socio-economic considerations on the other. Defined as a principle, rule, or law designed to govern conduct, regulations play a critical role in achieving broad socio-economic goals, including assuring safety, achieving equitable distribution of income, ensuring public confidence, improving efficiency of resource allocation, and protecting rights of ownership.