Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., a subsidiary of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., and the rest of the world’s six largest providers of genetically modified seeds have joined a program that will encourage companies to self-regulate their genetically modified products, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization will design and administer the program, “Excellence Through Stewardship,” which will track and control genetic crop traits from initial research through the rollout phase by having companies adopt quality management standards and undergo independent third-party audits to ensure compliance.

BIO hopes the program will reduce the accidental spread of bioengineered genetic traits into conventional crops, which can cause companies to lose access to foreign markets, lose consumer confidence and pay big legal bills. University researchers also believe it will help smaller companies by making the best practices of industry leaders available to them.

Last year, regulators found unapproved LibertyLink genes in long-grain rice. Though regulators found the trait harmless, Japan, the European Union and other countries rejected U.S. rice imports, which caused prices to fall. Bayer CropScience, which developed the trait, also faced a class-action lawsuit.

“I don’t think anyone can say this will prevent any particular incident,” said Tom West, a Pioneer vice president. “But this is about raising standards all across the board.”