Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 12/1/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** FR5084

FR5084

**France**

**Biotechnology**

**Exploring Coexistence**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Elizabeth B. Berry

U.S. Embassy

**Prepared by:**

Marie-Cécile Hénard

**Report Highlights:**

The second international conference on coexistence between GM and non-GM
based agricultural supply chains took place in Montpellier, France, in
mid November 2005. It was coorganized by the French National Institute
of Agronomy (INRA) and the European Commission Directorate General Joint
Research Center (JRC). The Commissioner for Agriculture emphasized the
high priority of the coexistence legislative framework on her agenda,
and the JRC announced that their research program will be finalized in
December 2005. A large number of papers were presented on gene flow
modeling, national implementation, organization and costs of
coexistence. France\'s coexistence legislation is still pending.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Paris \[FR1\]

\[FR\]

[Introduction and Summary 2](#introduction-and-summary)

[Experiences of Coexistence Outside of the EU: U.S., Brazil, Canada and
Australia
2](#experiences-of-coexistence-outside-of-the-eu-u.s.-brazil-canada-and-australia)

[U.S. and Brazil: Successful Coexistence Experiences with IP Soybean
Products
2](#u.s.-and-brazil-successful-coexistence-experiences-with-ip-soybean-products)

[Canada: Coexistence Experience with Canola
3](#canada-coexistence-experience-with-canola)

[Australia: Coexistence Experience --Cotton and Canola
3](#australia-coexistence-experience-cotton-and-canola)

[Coexistence Experience and Studies in the EU
3](#coexistence-experience-and-studies-in-the-eu)

[Spain: the Only Large Scale Experience of Coexistence in Europe
3](#spain-the-only-large-scale-experience-of-coexistence-in-europe)

[Coexistence Research 4](#coexistence-research)

[Joint Research Center (http://www.jrc.es)
4](#joint-research-center-httpwww.jrc.es)

[EC Directorate General for Research
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/index_en.cfm)
4](#ec-directorate-general-for-research-httpeuropa.eu.intcommresearchindex_en.cfm)

[French Action in European Research Programs
4](#french-action-in-european-research-programs)

[French Biotech Bill Still Pending
5](#french-biotech-bill-still-pending)

# Introduction and Summary

On November 14-15, 2005, the second international conference on
coexistence between GM and non-GM based agricultural supply chains
(GMCC-05) was held in Montpellier, France. The event was co-organized by
the French National Institute of Research in Agriculture (INRA) and the
European Commission Directorate General Joint Research Center (JRC). The
first GM/non-GM coexistence conference (GMCC-03) was held in Denmark in
2003. The EC, in conjunction with the Austrian Presidency of the
European Union, will organize the next **coexistence conference in
Vienna (Austria) in April 2006**.

This conference focused on both European and non-European coexistence
situations and consequent agronomic and economic research findings.
There were no policy statements made apart from opening remarks by EU
agricultural Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel. There were no
demonstrations of anti-biotech lobbyists, although some were present.

At the Montpellier meeting, EU Agriculture Commissioner Fischer-Boel, in
her opening remarks, made clear that biotech coexistence is high on her
agenda. She insisted that the legislative framework on biotech
coexistence at the EU and Member State levels continue to be developed.
Fischer-Boel declared that the EU Commission (EC) is currently working
on a report to consolidate actions among Member States on coexistence,
to be presented to the European Council in early 2006. She stressed the
importance for the EC of mutual exchanges and information sharing among
the Member States. She said that this would help establish a scientific
basis to allow for the development of a coexistence framework that would
provide choices for farmers and guarantees for consumers. In addition,
the Commissioner underlined the political importance of resolving the
liability issue.

# Experiences of Coexistence Outside of the EU: U.S., Brazil, Canada and Australia

### U.S. and Brazil: Successful Coexistence Experiences with IP Soybean Products 

Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes, (Professor of Economics and Management of
Agrobiotechnology Center, University of Missouri-Columbia -
<http://emac.missouri.edu/>), discussed world markets for U.S. IP
soybeans and corn. He focused on the technical and economic aspects of
Indentity Preserved (IP) supply chains under the conditions of
coexistence in the United States, using the PRESIP modeling platform.

His main conclusion was that coexistence can only be viable under
technically and economically reasonable adventitious presence
thresholds, as is the case for IP soybean products for the Japanese
market. A large part of the audience of the GMCC-05 conference had read
the speaker's former publications and welcomed his presentation.

The situation in Brazil was presented by Roseli Rocha Dos Santos,
Unibrasil Integrated Faculties. She illustrated the coexistence between
GM and non-GM soybeans in Brazil with 7 companies using Identity
Preservation in processing soybeans and exporting to Japan and EU
markets under certified non-GM requirements.

France was specifically identified as a target for Brazilian non-GM
soybean products. First, Brazilian soybean meal is reportedly certified
non-GM by the certifying company, ECOCERT, when exported to French
cooperatives. Another Brazilian company is reportedly supplying the
French supermarket chain Carrefour and the food company Nestle with
non-GM soybean products. A third company is reportedly certified by the
European company SGS for non-GM soybean products, and endorsed by
Genescan, a German inspection and auditing company, for IP lecithin
exported to Europe.

### Canada: Coexistence Experience with Canola

Rene Van Acker (University of Manitoba) presented the Canadian
perspective. He discussed the problem of "gene escape" encountered in
Canada on GM canola, which is now ubiquitous. The speaker discussed the
Canadian government's approach to this issue.

## Australia: Coexistence Experience --Cotton and Canola

Keith Alcock, Department of Agriculture, Government of Western
Australia, presented the Australian experience. He discussed the success
of GM cotton production in Australia, for which coexistence has not been
an issue. GM cotton now represents the bulk of cotton production in
Australia, as is the case in the United States. He explained this was
due to the benefits of GM cotton as a result of the sharp reduction in
insecticide use. On the other hand, he presented the current moratorium
on GM canola, as a result of coexistence concerns from the industry of
cross-contamination, as is the case in Europe.

These presentations on problems experienced by countries with canola
coexistence had a significant resonance among the French audience.
Rapeseed is a major crop grown in France, and a number of research
projects are conducted on the feasibility of GM rapeseed production
through the modeling of gene flow.

#  Coexistence Experience and Studies in the EU

## Spain: the Only Large Scale Experience of Coexistence in Europe

A representative of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture (Jose Ignacio
Ortega Molina) discussed the situation in his country (for more
information, see PO5022). In Spain, production of GM corn started in
1998. In 2004, there were 58,200 ha of GM corn planted, mainly in Aragon
and Cataluna regions, where they represented 35 and 28 percent of corn
acreage, respectively. Corn faces a strong attack from the corn borer in
these two regions, and farmers therefore need to grow Bt corn to
maintain their yields. The Spanish MinAg representative explained Bt
corn is mainly grown for the feed market, while corn grown for starch
entering the food chain is grown in dedicated non-GM areas, and sold to
buyers willing to pay a premium for non-GM products.

Finally, the Spanish MinAg representative described the Spanish draft
regulation on coexistence, expected to enter into force in early 2006.
He said the regulation will include a chapter on farmers obligations
(measures to apply during production, transportation and storage
process), a chapter on monitoring and control (national plan of
supervision, registration of plots, fines for non-compliance), and an
annex with technical indications (50 meters distances of isolation
around GM plots, buffer zones of 4 conventional rows around GM plots,
refuge zones of a minimum of 20 percent of the total acreage), and good
farm practices.

## Coexistence Research

## Joint Research Center ([**http://www.jrc.es**](http://www.jrc.es/))

There was a presentation of the European Commission's (EC) Directorate
General Joint Research Center (JRC), whose mission is to support EC
policy makers with the best scientific background. The JRC is involved
in research relevant to coexistence mainly through the work of its
Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS), a number of
whose representatives were speakers at the Montpellier conference.

JRC-IPTS provided scientific support to the EC for the publication of
its recommended guidelines on coexistence in 2003. JRC-IPTS worked with
the French National Institute of Research in Agronomy (INRA,
co-organizer of the Montpellier conference) and other European research
centers on **a report finalized in December 2005 on biotech
coexistence**. Thee report identified agronomic measures for
coexistence, introduced landscape scale for estimating gene flow and
adventitious presence levels, identified coexistence measures for
planting seeds, studied the effects of long time periods, and reviewd
existing models on gene flow.

## EC Directorate General for Research ([**http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/index_en.cfm**](http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/index_en.cfm))

The Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture section of the DG RTD
presentation focused on the biotech coexistence research projects SIGMEA
and COEXTRA. These projects involve 23 countries inside and outside of
the EU, such as Russia, Argentina and Brazil. These research projects
study gene flow containment, changes in farm practices to reduce gene
flow, socio-economics and environmental impacts of GM and non-GM
coexistence, and Member States regulatory projects on coexistence.

## French Action in European Research Programs

**COEXTRA:** (<http://www.coextra.org/>)

COEXistence and TRAceability of GM and non-GM supply chains is a
four-year European research project launched in June 2005 and funded
with 13.5 million euros by the EU. France is highly involved in COEXTRA
as its scientific coordinator is the French researcher in the National
Institute of Research in Agronomy (INRA) Yves Bertheau. Apart from INRA,
other French organizations involved in the COEXTRA program include:

-   ARVALIS-Institut du Vegetal (technical research institute on grains,
    potato, forage, corn, and pulses -
    [http://www.arvalisinstitutduvegetal.fr](http://www.arvalisinstitutduvegetal.fr/)),

-   CETIOM (technical research institute on Oilseeds --
    <http://www.cetiom.fr/CTMsite/index.html>),

-   GIP-GEVES (French official organization in charge of plant variety
    and seed testing for the registration of new varieties --
    [http://www.geves.fr](http://www.geves.fr/)),

-   the laboratory of the Fraud Control Office (DGCCRF) of the French
    Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry
    (<http://www.minefi.gouv.fr/dgccrf>),

-   the research Center on science legal rights in the University of
    Paris I (<http://panjuris.univ-paris1.fr/pages/txtcrdst.html>) and

-   the private company Adriant, involved in consumer research on food
    products ([http://www.adriant.com](http://www.adriant.com/)).

**SIGMEA**: (<http://sigmea.dyndns.org/>)

Under the EC Sixth Framework Programme, Sustainable Introduction of GM
crops into European Agriculture (SIGMEA) started in May 2004 and runs
for three years. Again, France is significantly involved in this
research program, with a French person as the scientific coordinator
(Antoine Messean, INRA researcher), and several French organizations
involved including INRA, CETIOM, ARVALIS-Institut du Vegetal, and the
University of Paris 11.

**A French research program: POECB**
(<http://www.agpm.com//iso_album/poecb_1.pdf>)

The French research program named Operational Program for GM Crop
Evaluation (POECB) was conducted from 2002 to 2004 in France. On 7 sites
across France, POECB studied coexistence of Bt corn with conventional
corn and traceability from the field to the silo. French corn growers,
INRA, ARVALIS-Institut du Vegetal, planting seed organizations (GNIS,
FNPSMS and SEPROMA), the Research Institute on Grain Food Technologies
(IRTAC), and the biotech organization DEBA jointly worked on this
program.

POECB findings were presented at the GMCC-05 conference. They covered
distances between Bt corn plots and conventional plots to reduce
cross-pollination levels, depending on wind intensities and field size,
and explored several scenarios for organizing coexistence at different
phases of the production process (farm, dryer, and silos). Finally,
POECB explored good farming practice guidelines to ensure that the GM
adventitious presence in non-GM corn remains below the EU labeling
threshold of 0.9 percent.

# French Biotech Bill Still Pending

Approximately one year ago the French announced legislation (biotech
bill) to transpose EU Directive 2001/18, which established coexistence
rules for biotech products, into French law. The law would change the
organization of the French committees that assess biotech products and
set national rules on coexistence (see FR5061 for more details). The
legislation is still pending, however, for several reasons. The French
Minister of Agriculture announced his preference for EU coexistence
rules rather than national regulations (see FR5054) last July. In
addition, the French have not resolved the issues of coexistence
liability, as in, who bears responsibility for gene flow and how
insurance companies can cover the risk, and technical standards,
including buffer zones, cultural practices, transportation and storage
segregation.

Strong lobbying by ecological groups may have also affected the pace of
France's impetus to finalize the biotech bill. Such groups resist the
implementation of coexistence because it infers a legitimacy of biotech
plantings alongside conventional plantings. If France does not transpose
the 2001/18 Directive into French law by October 2006 it must pay high
penalties set by the European Court of Justice.