London (21st
July, 2006) – Yesterday, DEFRA issued its long-awaited consultation
paper on how GM and non-GM agriculture might co-exist. In doing so they were
following oft-repeated EU policy: that all forms of farming have an equal
right to exist and that no one practice may exercise a veto on any other.
Co-existence, of course, is not about safety but about designing equitable
arrangements so that farmers may choose which crops to grow (conventional,
GM or organic) without disadvantaging their neighbours.
The consultation paper points out that, under EU legislation, a GM crop can
be approved for commercial use only if a specific risk assessment confirms
that it is safe for human health and the environment. While commercial GM
cultivation is not expected in the UK in the immediate future, the paper recognises
that if authorised GM crops are grown here, non-GM crops might have a small
GM presence through cross-pollination or the dispersal of GM seed.
Co-existence’ measures will be needed to minimise unwanted mixing of
GM and non-GM material, bearing in mind that, from a regulatory standpoint,
the threshold for labelling adventitious (i.e. unintended) GM presence is
0.9%. The Government is seeking comments on a proposed coexistence regime
for England aiming to minimise GM presence in non-GM crops to below 0.9%.
The proposals are directed to managing coexistence between farms and between
ordinary crops (not certified seed production), focussing on the specific
coexistence measures needed for crops of maize, beet, potato and oilseed rape.
Farmers growing GM maize or oilseed rape crops would be required to observe
a separation distance in relation to any crops of the same species grown by
neighbouring producers, where these crops are intended for sale as non-GM
or organic; and to notify their intention to sow a GM crop to neighbouring
producers if neighbouring land falls within the relevant separation distance.
Non-statutory measures would cover the control of ‘volunteers’
(including weed beet and potato groundkeepers), the control of beet ‘bolters’,
and the cleaning of combine harvesters used on GM oilseed rape crops before
they are used on non-GM farms.
DEFRA proposes to monitor the effectiveness of the coexistence regime and
review it in consultation with stakeholders after an introductory period of
about 2-3 years. Compliance with the statutory measures would be checked and
enforced via on-farm inspections.
The consultation paper also considers:
• whether a threshold for GM presence below 0.9% or stricter process-based
standard should apply specifically for coexistence between GM and organic
crops, possibly ; 0.1% (limit of detection) or a threshold somewhere between
0.1% and 0.9%
• possible options for redressing any financial losses that non-GM farmers
might face, if their crops have a GM presence above the EU 0.9% threshold
through no fault of their own; this discusses the possibility of leaving claims
for redress to be resolved under existing law, having an industry-led (voluntary)
redress mechanism, or establishing a statutory redress scheme
• the pros and cons of establishing a detailed public register giving
the precise location of all commercial GM crops
• possible guidance to farmers who may be interested in establishing
a voluntary ‘GM-free’ zone
Defra wants to hear from stakeholders before reaching final decisions with
the deadline for responses set as 20 October 2006
See also Media reaction to the DEFRA consultation paper (http://www.cropgen.org/article_86.html)
Source:
Consultation on proposals for managing the coexistence of GM, conventional
and organic crops. DEFRA (July 2006) (http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/gmnongm-coexist/index.htm)
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