GM seed
Can GM and non-GM farming coexist together in the UK? Greenpeace believes contamination of conventional and organic crops by GM varieties will be inevitable if commercialisation goes ahead.
A leaked report by the government GM advisory commission (the AEBC), confirmed that it would "be difficult and, in some places, impossible to guarantee" that any food in the UK would be GM-free if commercial growing of GM crops went ahead.
Yet the government has not adequately considered the question of coexistence. If GM crops are grown commercially, safeguards must be put in place to minimise genetic pollution and protect the right of consumer and farmer to eat and grow non-GM and organic foods.
A 'secret' study by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, which was also leaked to Greenpeace, found that non-GM farmers would face increased costs if GM crops were commercialised. These costs include paying more for certified GM-free seeds and maintaining product purity. In some cases these costs would be unsustainable. Specifically, the report found that:
- Commercialisation of GM oilseed rape and maize would increase costs of non-GM and organic farmers by between 10 - 41%.
- Coexistence of GM and organic farming would be impossible in many cases.
- If commercialisation went ahead, all oilseed rape and maize seed stocks and products would become contaminated with GM to some extent.
The government has to consider the following technical and social factors around coexistence:
- Pollen can move over a massive area, meaning that huge distances will be needed between GM and non-GM crops to prevent contamination from happening.
- GM contamination must not be accepted in non-GM and organic crops above the level of detection (currently 0.1%).
- Any co-existence systems must be enforced by law and not be regulated by the GM industry.
