"Now
they are examining the cost implications in setting thresholds, which is welcome; it is
important that the Commission makes workable rules that minimize disturbance and cost to
farmers, allowing the practical co-existence of different methods of agricultural
production," says Simon Barber.
1)
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=MEMO/02/100|0|RAPID&lg=EN
2)
Life Sciences and Biotechnology - a strategy for Europe http://europa.eu.int/comm/biotechnology/pdf/policypaper_en.pdf
4)
An agronomic and economic assessment of GM oil seed rape published by the Canola Council
of Canada can be found http://www.canola-council.org
under growers manual
5)
Commission Press Release 8 October 2001-
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2001/pr0810en.html
A
new report from the European Commission’s
Joint Research Centre (JRC), as commissioned by the Agriculture Directorate-General, now
available at http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/GECrops/,
explores scenarios for the co-existence of genetically modified, conventional and organic
crops in European agriculture.
CO-EXISTENCE
OF GM CROPS WITH CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC CROPS
Joint
Research Centre
http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/default.asp?sIdSz=our_work&sIdStSz=focus_on
Today
in AgBioView: May 23, 2002
*
GM and organics can co-exist in Europe - EC
*
Insuring Organic Risks
*
CO-EXISTENCE OF GM CROPS WITH CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC CROPS
*
Greenmailing the Government
*
Greens take their GE bat and ball and go home
*
BLAIR TO WARN OFF GM, ANIMAL RIGHTS PROTESTERS
*
FOOD SAFETY ON THE FARM
*
Biotech Clobbers Chemical Market
AgBioWorld
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GM
and organics can co-exist in Europe - EC
EuropaBio
press release
May
22, 2002
The
European Commission released a report today (22 May) by the Joint Research Centre (JRC)
which examines purported implications of the co-existence of traditional and organic
systems of agricultural production with increased production of genetically modified crops
in Europe.
The
report found different farming systems could co-exist with a minimal impact on farming
practices if practical, workable and realistic thresholds were agreed upon.
Some
of the scenarios and assumptions made in the study suggest that further introduction of GM
crop production in Europe could raise the cost of traditional and organic growers because
of the incidence of adventitious presence of GM material.
However,
the report's authors state that the key findings around levels of adventitious presence of
GM material in other crops "have to be taken with care, since the models are not yet
fully validated." Other assumptions regarding cooperation among farmers, application
of normal farming practices, and rates of GM production are only estimates, since wide
scale GM production does not exist in Europe.
In
reality, GM crop production can co-exist with other systems, as long as reasonable
standards of purity are developed. "The report shows that realistic allowances would
minimise costs and disturbance to all farmers," says Simon Barber, Director of the
Plant Biotechnology Unit at EuropaBio - the European Bioindustries Association.
The
report confirms that for different farming systems to co-exist with a minimal impact on
farming practices, legislators need to set reasonable thresholds for GM material found in
non GM crops. Purity thresholds are common in agriculture. For example, standards for
organic food production allow up to 5% non-organic material in "organic" food,
and up to 30% non-organic ingredients in a product that may still be labelled as having
organic ingredients.
EuropaBio
is asking for thresholds considerably below the 5% mark. Similar thresholds exist in
traditional agricultural production for a wide range of substances. Such thresholds allow
different systems of production to co-exist, satisfying a wide range of consumer choice.
Some
environmental organisations are demanding even lower thresholds than those proposed by the
European Commission. "Such groups should be aware that there are costs
involved," says Simon Barber, "For farmers to achieve 100% purity on their farms
they would have to isolate their crops along 'quarantine' lines. Zero tolerance of
alternative farming systems is simply an extreme position that would create havoc for
farmers."
The
JRC report shows that it would be extremely difficult for European seed producers and
farmers to meet the unrealistically low threshold levels, and that if taken to the
extreme, the costs would be prohibitive.
This
report confirms what EuropaBio has been calling for namely that practical, workable and
realistic thresholds must be agreed so that GM farming can co-exist alongside other
farming systems (an aim set out in the Commission's strategy for life sciences and
biotechnology). "One farming system should not be able to exclude another - farmers
also have a right to choose," explains Simon Barber.
However,
the report fails to account for the farming pattern which would likely result from the
introduction of GM farming in European agriculture. Many
so-called conventional farmers will produce GM crops. These will be especially
concentrated in areas where there is an economic benefit of a particular trait, and will
not be spread in an even, theoretical manner across all regions of production.
In
its calculations, the report neither takes account of the benefits of GM farming on the
environment or on farmers' incomes. Research is increasingly showing that farmers who use
new GM technologies are reporting lower costs due to less spraying and reduced energy use. Furthermore, the increase in yields as well as the
possibility to produce higher value crops in future is actually helping to increase farm
incomes.
These
benefits are real and the reason why farmers have adopted GM technologies so rapidly. The
JRC report shows that the European Commission is taking the use of GM technologies in
Europe very seriously. Fifteen years of European research on the safety of GM crops
financed by the European Commission led them to conclude that because of the more precise
technology and stricter controls, GM crops are at least as safe as conventional ones.
"Now
they are examining the cost implications in setting thresholds, which is welcome; it is
important that the Commission makes workable rules that minimize disturbance and cost to
farmers, allowing the practical co-existence of different methods of agricultural
production," says Simon Barber.
1)
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=MEMO/02/100|0|RAPID&lg=EN
2)
Life Sciences and Biotechnology - a strategy for Europe http://europa.eu.int/comm/biotechnology/pdf/policypaper_en.pdf
4)
An agronomic and economic assessment of GM oil seed rape published by the Canola Council
of Canada can be found http://www.canola-council.org
under growers manual
5)
Commission Press Release 8 October 2001-
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2001/pr0810en.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Wed, 22 May 2002
15:25:08 -0500
From: "Andrew Apel" <agbionews@earthlink.net>
Subject: Insuring Organic Risks
Colleagues,
A
new report from the European Commission’s
Joint Research Centre (JRC), as commissioned by the Agriculture Directorate-General, now
available at http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/GECrops/,
explores scenarios for the co-existence of genetically modified, conventional and organic
crops in European agriculture. In introducing that report, the JRC says:
“In
general, organic farms face higher costs, especially indicative insurance cost, than
conventional farms.”
Typically,
higher insurance cost is associated with higher risk. Does anyone out there have a
concrete explanation for this?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CO-EXISTENCE
OF GM CROPS WITH CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC CROPS
Joint
Research Centre
http://www.jrc.cec.eu.int/default.asp?sIdSz=our_work&sIdStSz=focus_on
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++