Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 7/7/2006

**GAIN Report Number:** FR6037

FR6037

**France**

**Biotechnology**

**Significant Increase in GM Corn Planting in 2006**

**2006**

**Approved by:**

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

U.S. Embassy

**Prepared by:**

Marie-Cécile Hénard

**Report Highlights:**

French Bt corn acreage is expected to boom from 500 ha in 2005 to 5,000
ha in 2006, as a result of the economic advantages experienced by Bt
corn growers in 2005. The pervasive presence of the European corn borer
in Southern France provides strong incentive for further expansion.
However, that incentive must be weighed against French consumer
resistance. While the French Biotech Bill is still pending in the
Parliament, farmers are adopting coexistence practices based on studies
by the French corn growers association (AGPM) and the recommendations of
seed companies.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Paris \[FR1\]

\[FR\]

In 2005, French farmers planted their first commercial crop of Bt corn
(MON-810) on 500 to 1,000 hectares (see FR 5060) since 1999. Previously,
farmers had been wary of planting genetically modified varieties due to
lack of market demand in France because of consumer and industry
resistance, traceability rules and a lack of transparency for
coexistence liability. In 2005, due to a drought in Spain, French
farmers were able to sell their biotech crop to this market for use in
animal feed. In addition, in the southern part of the country, the
conventional corn crop is threatened by the European corn borer. Bt corn
is viewed as providing an effective and profitable remedy against the
European corn borer in this region, which contains 400,000 to 500,000
hectares, i.e., almost a third of the total French corn acreage. Due to
the agronomic and economic benefits experienced in 2005, French farmers
are expected to expand the acreage of Bt corn to 4,000-5,000 hectares
for 2006.

Also in 2006, the French farm community had been hoping to receive some
legal clarity in the coexistence area. The French Biotech Bill, which
will set rules on GM and non-GM coexistence (see FR6008) was voted on by
the Senate last March but, since May, has been languishing in the
National Assembly. Coexistence is a controversial issue and politicians
are wary of acting on this legislation in the current pre-presidential
and Parliamentary campaign period before the elections of May 2007.

As a result, biotech corn producers, with the help of seed companies and
the French corn growers association (AGPM), are organizing at the local
level to manage coexistence. AGPM, based on its studies on corn pollen
flow (POECB program, see FR5084), is recommending that farmers establish
buffer zones of at least 25 meters, and an additional 10 meter pollen
barrier, when planting next to conventional corn fields. AGPM's studies
concluded that the adventitious presence of biotech pollen is well below
0.9 percent under these planting conditions but some seed companies
recommend buffer zones of 50 meters to further minimize the risk of gene
flow. Conventional corn grown within the buffer zone is mixed with the
Bt corn at harvest and labelled as a biotech product.