Best Practice Documents for coexistence of genetically modified crops with conventional and organic farming. 2. Monitoring efficiency of coexistence measures in maize crop production

The present technical report deals with monitoring the efficiency of measures/strategies for coexistence between genetically modified (GM) and non-GM maize crop production. The report is a follow up of the best practices for coexistence in maize crop production proposed by the Technical Working Group (TWG) for Maize of the European Coexistence Bureau (ECoB). The ECoB TWG maize held three meetings in October 2010, June 2012 and November 2012 and examined state-of-art-knowledge from scientific literature, research projects and empirical evidence provided by numerous finished and ongoing studies looking at the appropriate level of monitoring, monitoring strategy, sampling and testing issues, detection methods, analysis of results and possible follow up. The review of this information (coming from a total of 55 references) is presented in a structured manner in Section 3 and 4 of the document. The overview of the activities carried out by EU Member States for monitoring effectiveness/efficiency of coexistence measures in maize crop production (Section 3), shows a still limited experience in practical terms, due to the limited experience in commercial cultivation of GM maize in most EU Member States. However, the present report provides technical guidance to those responsible for monitoring the efficiency of coexistence strategies.JRC.J.4-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

An evidence-based review on the likely economic and environmental impact of genetically modified cereals and oilseeds for UK agriculture

An evidence-based review of the potential impact that the introduction of genetically-modified (GM) cereal and oilseed crops could have for the UK was carried out. The inter-disciplinary research project addressed the key research questions using scenarios for the uptake, or not, of GM technologies. This was followed by an extensive literature review, stakeholder consultation and financial modelling. The world area of canola, oilseed rape (OSR) low in both erucic acid in the oil and glucosinolates in the meal, was 34M ha in 2012 of which 27% was GM; Canada is the lead producer but it is also grown in the USA, Australia and Chile. Farm level effects of adopting GM OSR include: lower production costs; higher yields and profits; and ease of farm management. Growing GM OSR instead of conventional OSR reduces both herbicide usage and environmental impact. Some 170M ha of maize was grown in the world in 2011 of which 28% was GM; the main producers are the USA, China and Brazil. Spain is the main EU producer of GM maize although it is also grown widely in Portugal. Insect resistant (IR) and herbicide tolerant (HT) are the GM maize traits currently available commercially. Farm level benefits of adopting GM maize are lower costs of production through reduced use of pesticides and higher profits. GM maize adoption results in less pesticide usage than on conventional counterpart crops leading to less residues in food and animal feed and allowing increasing diversity of bees and other pollinators. In the EU, well-tried coexistence measures for growing GM crops in the proximity of conventional crops have avoided gene flow issues. Scientific evidence so far seems to indicate that there has been no environmental damage from growing GM crops. They may possibly even be beneficial to the environment as they result in less pesticides and herbicides being applied and improved carbon sequestration from less tillage. A review of work on GM cereals relevant for the UK found input trait work on: herbicide and pathogen tolerance; abiotic stress such as from drought or salinity; and yield traits under different field conditions. For output traits, work has mainly focussed on modifying the nutritional components of cereals and in connection with various enzymes, diagnostics and vaccines. Scrutiny of applications submitted for field trial testing of GM cereals found around 9000 applications in the USA, 15 in Australia and 10 in the EU since 1996. There have also been many patent applications and granted patents for GM cereals in the USA for both input and output traits;an indication of the scale of such work is the fact that in a 6 week period in the spring of 2013, 12 patents were granted relating to GM cereals. A dynamic financial model has enabled us to better understand and examine the likely performance of Bt maize and HT OSR for the south of the UK, if cultivation is permitted in the future. It was found that for continuous growing of Bt maize and HT OSR, unless there was pest pressure for the former and weed pressure for the latter, the seed premia and likely coexistence costs for a buffer zone between other crops would reduce the financial returns for the GM crops compared with their conventional counterparts. When modelling HT OSR in a four crop rotation, it was found that gross margins increased significantly at the higher levels of such pest or weed pressure, particularly for farm businesses with larger fields where coexistence costs would be scaled down. The impact of the supply of UK-produced GM crops on the wider supply chain was examined through an extensive literature review and widespread stakeholder consultation with the feed supply chain. The animal feed sector would benefit from cheaper supplies of raw materials if GM crops were grown and, in the future, they might also benefit from crops with enhanced nutritional profile (such as having higher protein levels) becoming available. This would also be beneficial to livestock producers enabling lower production costs and higher margins. Whilst coexistence measures would result in increased costs, it is unlikely that these would cause substantial changes in the feed chain structure. Retailers were not concerned about a future increase in the amount of animal feed coming from GM crops. To conclude, we (the project team) feel that the adoption of currently available and appropriate GM crops in the UK in the years ahead would benefit farmers, consumers and the feed chain without causing environmental damage. Furthermore, unless British farmers are allowed to grow GM crops in the future, the competitiveness of farming in the UK is likely to decline relative to that globally

Cost of coexistence between BT Maize and Open Pollinated Maze varieties in Lowland Coastal Kenya

The purpose of this study was to assess the spatial distribution of open pollinated maize varieties (OPVs) in lowland coastal Kenya and analyze how this distribution affects the economic and practical feasibility of the implementation of coexistence measures between Bt maize and OPVs. The study used both primary and secondary data. Primary data was spatially generated by a hand held GPS and farmer surveys in lowland coastal Kenya. This data was analyzed using GIS arc view software and the least squares mean procedure. Agroecological zones were used as the reference spatial strata. Secondary data was a review of the existing coexistence studies and economic performance of Bt maize. This information is analyzed and used to determine the economic and practical impacts of the different coexistence measures in lowland coastal Kenya. The findings showed that local maize varieties are popular in the region, most of it grown in zone Cl3 along the coast. However, hybrid and improved varieties are equally popular in Cl4 and Cl5. The size of maize fields didn't differ significantly between zones. The estimated mean size of maize fields across the region was 1.7hec. The distribution of the distances between maize fields was skewed to the right with an estimated mean size of 129.2m across the region. Consistent with Ingram (2000) separation distance recommendations, we found that at separation distance of 100m, 150m and 200m, approximately 48%, 52% and 53%, respectively, of the farmers would not meet the minimum isolation distance requirement. Consistent with Ingram (2000) separation distance recommendations, we found that at separation distance of 100m, 150m and 200m, approximately 48%, 52% and 53%, respectively, of the farmers would not meet the minimum isolation distance requirement. These benefits are partially offset by reduction of GM maize fields to allow for spatial separation. On average across the region, the cost of separation was found to be approximately USD21.2/hec and USD72.1/hec if the minimum separation distance is 150m and 200m respectively. At separation distances of 150m and 200m, the costs of separation represented 27.2% and 92.4%, respectively, of the gross benefits.Department of Agricultural Economic

Multi-level Regulation of Agricultural Biotechnology: Determinants and Actor Strategies in Germany

This thesis investigates the regulation of agricultural biotechnology in the multi-level system of the European Union focussing specifically on the Federal Republic of Germany. In particular, it aims to provide an improved understanding of the determinants underlying regulatory action on subnational levels and certain strategies adopted by political parties and private companies to maximize their respective interests in the unpopular and contested field of agricultural biotechnology. Based on various data sources and the combination of different theoretical and methodical approaches, the thesis provides several important insights. It shows that German municipalities regulate the cultivation of genetically modified crops for various reasons, but most importantly because of functional motivations to prevent negative socio-economic effects or impacts on the environment and human health. For the regional level, the thesis reveals among other things that strong environmental interest groups have positively conditioned German states’ symbolic policy-making, but with seemingly no effect on the adoption of hard regulations. With regards to the actor strategies, it proves that parties, here the German CDU, strategically de-emphasize their unpopular positions on green genetic engineering for various reasons including coalition formation prospects with B’90/Grüne and increasingly diverging policy preferences of their regional branches. Finally, the thesis demonstrates that biotechnology firms make strategic use of specific opportunity structures by lobbying institutionally closed and favorably embedded policy venues at member state level aiming thereby to promote the de-regulation of new plant breeding technologies in the European Union

Risks, responsibility and rights in transgenic plant technology governance: a transnational perspective

Whilst the adoption of commercial transgenic plant agriculture continues to spread globally, it is not necessarily indicative of universal support, and would appear to belie the inherent existential tensions and conflicting rights between transgenic, organic, and conventional plant agricultural systems. These tensions are typically vented via the inevitable adventitious presence of transgenes in non-transgenic crops, and the competing, and often conflicting scientific and acrimonious claims and counter-claims on the merits and proprieties of transgenic plant agriculture for the environment and public health. Nevertheless, the virtual irreversibility of transgenic plant agriculture, the exigencies of feeding the growing world population amidst continuing global food security scares, and the continuing dependency of livestock farming on transgenic plant feedstuff, especially in Europe, underscore the imperatives for mutual co-existence of all three forms of plant agricultural systems. Drawing on the socio-legal theory that risks and responsibility are correlatives, it is argued in the thesis that our “technological society” is also a “risk society”, and as it is for comparable “technologies of risk” in the post-industrial era, the regulatory framework for the co-existence of transgenic and non-transgenic plant agriculture, must of necessity, invoke corresponding responsibility in law for any consequential economic loss and damage to the environment and public health, in order balance and moderate the conflicting rights in the coexistence paradigm for transgenic and non-transgenic plant agriculture. Whilst drawing on relevant and analogous case law and legislations from the United Kingdom, the European Union and North America, the thesis defines the boundaries of inherent risks, responsibility and rights in the current coexistence paradigm for transgenic and non-transgenic plant agriculture, and proposes a modality for an effective sui generis compensation regime, as an integral part of the broader coexistence policy, on the grounds that such a regime could moderate conflicting rights, increase public acceptance, and build public confidence in transgenic plant technology, rather than hinder its continuing global growth and promise

The Deadlock in European GM Crop Authorisations as a Wicked Problem by Design: A need for Repoliticisation of the Decision-making Process

This thesis analyses and discusses the contributions and shortcomings of technocratic, participatory and regulatory strategies to solve the deadlock in decision-making about market authorisations of GM crops in Europe. I argue that political decision-making is not just the sum of science, public dialogue and regulations, but that politics has its own role to take decisions in situations of uncertainty and societal disagreement

Spatio-temporal modelling of crop co-existence in European agricultural landscapes

The environmental risk of growing genetically modified (GM) crops and particularly the spreading of GM genes to related non-GM crops is currently a concern in European agriculture. Because the risks of contamination are linked to the spatial and temporal arrangements of crops within the landscape, scenarios of crop arrangement are required to investigate the risks and potential coexistence measures. However, until recently, only manual methods were available to create scenarios. This thesis aims to provide a flexible referenced tool to create such scenarios. The model, called LandSFACTS, is a scientific research tool which allocates crops into fields, to meet user-defined crop spatio-temporal arrangements, using an empirical and statistical approach. The control of the crop arrangements is divided into two main sections: (i) the temporal arrangement of crops: encompassing crop rotations as transition matrices (specifically-developed methodology), temporal constraints (return period of crops, forbidden crop sequences), initial crops in fields regulated by temporal patterns (specifically-developed statistical analyses) and yearly crop proportions; and (ii) the spatial arrangements of crops: encompassing possible crops in fields, crop rotation in fields regulated by spatial patterns (specifically-developed statistical analyses), and spatial constraints (separation distances between crops). The limitations imposed by the model include the size of the smallest spatial and temporal unit: only one crop is allocated per field and per year. The model has been designed to be used by researchers with agronomic knowledge of the landscape. An assessment of the model did not lead to the detection of any significant flaws and therefore the model is considered valid for the stated specifications. Following this evaluation, the model is being used to fill incomplete datasets, build up and compare scenarios of crop allocations. Within the GM coexistence context, the model could provide useful support to investigate the impact of crop arrangement and potential coexistence measures on the risk of GM contamination of crops. More informed advice could therefore be provided to decision makers on the feasibility and efficiency of coexistence measures for GM cultivation.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo