GM crops? : coexistence and liability / a report by the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission.

  • Great Britain. Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission
Date:
2003
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: GM crops? : coexistence and liability / a report by the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    is committed’* to implementing the Scottish Executive’s Organic Action Plan to develop the infrastructure needed to increase the market penetration of organic products so that they meet at least 70% by value of overall Scottish consumer demand for organic products that can be sourced in Scotland’”. The administration has said that it will increase the finance available for farmers in Scotland who wish to convert to organic farming. The Welsh Assembly Government has a target of 10% of agricultural production in Wales being organic by 2005. The Northern Ireland Rural Development Plan 2000-06 contains a target of 1,000 organic farms (30,000ha) by 2006, as compared with the present level of around 150 farms (5,000ha)'**. 152. The likely expansion of organic production raises two issues in relation to coexistence: e to what extent will the organic production be of crops of which GM varieties might also be grown (resulting in a direct risk of adventitious presence)? e could the commercial production of GM varieties cause problems for organic farmers even if the crops being grown were not the same? 157 153. On the first question the report by PG Economics’”’ notes: “Although the [organic] sector has experienced rapid expansion, it remains a small part of UK arable crop agriculture. For example, the current area of organic wheat, oilseed rape and sugar beet account for 0.5%, 0.06% and 0.34% respectively of the total UK areas planted to these crops. Even if it was assumed that there was a substantial (e.g. fivefold) increase in the UK organic area planted to these crops in the next 5-10 years, the sector would remain small relative to total arable crop production. The number of (organic) farmers possibly affected would therefore be small relative to the total number of farmers in the UK. Many would not be producing crops for which GM alternatives are available (the primary reason why the majority of organic farms found to be within 6km of the FSEs were not classified as being “at risk” by the Soil Association). Also the area Classified as being “at possible risk” would probably be very low. For example the category of crop identified as having the greatest possible risk of adventitious presence identified in the JRC study is winter oilseed rape seed production.”'® 154. We have heard evidence from organic farmers that fodder maize may become more important to organic livestock production. Organic producers often have difficulty sourcing sufficient organic feed. Organic fodder maize is estimated to cover '4 Dartnership for a better Scotland: partnership agreement. May 2003. (http:/www.scotland.gov.ub/libraryS/qgovernment/pfbs-02.asp). The targets are for Scottish organic products to grow in market penetration so that they can meet at least 70% by value (from a current level of 35%) of overall Scottish consumer demand for organic products which can be sourced in Scotland, as well as succeeding in the broader UK and international markets; and a doubling of the area of arable land and improved grassland in organic conversion or production, with a view to these areas comprising 30% of Scotland's organic area by 2007, against a current 15%. Organic Action Plan, Scottish Executive, February 2003. (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/agri/orap-00.asp) : Progress towards this target has been slowed by the effects of the foot & mouth crisis (during which inspectors could not visit farms) and by erosion of the organic premium price. 157 Op cit, pp 37-38. It is also worth-noting the international nature of the seed business: most maize seed used in the UK is produced in France and central Europe (no longer from the US because the risk of adventitious presence is too high); and sugar beet seed used here is mostly from south west France and the Po Valley in Italy. GM CROPS? COEXISTENCE AND LIABILITY PAGE 56