G/SPS/GEN/1685  
 
1 March  2019 
(19-1211) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
INTERNATIONAL STATEM ENT ON LOW LEVEL PRE SENCE  
COMMUNICATION FROM C ANADA  
The follow ing communication, received on 28 February  2019, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Canada . 
 
_______________  
 
 
1  OVERVIEW  
1.1.  Consistent with Codex Alimentarius Commission  guidance, the International Statement on Low 
Level Presence (LLP) defines LLP as the unintentional presence in grain  shipments, at low levels, of 
a genetically modified (GM) crop that has been approved for food use following  the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived 
from Recombinant -DNA Plants  in at least one country, but has not yet been approved by the 
importing country.  
1.2.  LLP can give rise to trade disruptions, which, in turn, can impact food security, prices and 
innovation in both the exporting and importing countries.  
1.3.  As the number of GM crops developed and traded around the globe is increasing, so is the 
likelihood of LLP. The Global Low Level Presence Initiative (GLI), created in 2012, and for which 
Canada serves as Secretariat, is a group of fifteen member countries, both exporting and importing, 
that have  endorsed an International Statement on Low Level Presence and committed to working 
collaboratively to develop international approaches to manage LLP.  
1.4.  This statement defines common strategic directions, objectives and intentions on LLP, and has 
driven the work of the GLI.  
1.5.  For further information, please contact the GLI Secretariat at aafc.globalllpinitiative -
initiativeglobalesurlapfc.aac@canada.ca . 
2  TEXT OF THE "INTERNA TIONAL STATEMENT ON LO W LEVEL PRESENCE" (V ANCOUVER, 
CANADA, 22 MARCH  2012)  
2.1.  The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recently indicated that global agricultural 
production would need to increase by 70 percent by 2050 in order to meet the rising in ternational 
food demand. However, significant constraints, such as limited access to arable land and fresh water 
will affect countries’ ability to increase production. Given this reality, the increase in agriculture 
production would need to come from an in crease in productivity. To this regard, biotechnology is 
going to play a cr itical role.  
2.2.  In addition to helping address food security challenges, biotechnology would assist in mitigating 
climate change impacts by, for example, supporting agricultural practi ces that could improve 
sustain able and efficient agriculture.  
2.3.  Today, the number and complexity of genetically engineered crops being developed and 
cultivated worldwide is increasing annually. This situation threatens to increase the number of 
asynchronous and asymmetric approvals worldwide and, consequently, increase  the risk of trade G/SPS/GEN/1685  
 
- 2 - 
 
  disruptions resulting from the low level presence (LLP) of unapproved events in commercial 
channels. Reducing asynchronous approvals is the most effective way of reducing trade disruptions 
due to LLP. However, there is an immediate need to address the risk to trade arising from LLP 
occurrences, a risk that impacts importing and exporting countries alike, and g lobal food security in 
general.  
2.4.  Recognizing the need for action, we, importing and exporting countries, have decided to discuss 
the issue of LLP; exchange information on its origin and potential implications on the agricultural 
trading system; and begin the development of an approach or set of approaches  to manage LLP 
internationally.  
2.5.  We recognize the importance of developing practica l approaches for the management of LLP 
that are science -based, predictable and transparent, and that will encourage the use of international 
science -based guidelines on LLP, such as the Codex Alimentarius Annex 3: Food Safety Assessment 
in Situations of Lo w-Level Presence of Recombin ant-DNA Plant Material in Food.  
2.6.  We recognize that the approaches could be implemented on a voluntary basis by countries. 
Therefore, we, importing and expor ting countries have decided to : 
 Work collaboratively on the issue of LLP to facilitate international trade of agriculture 
commodities by developing practical approaches, de signed to address LLP globally;  
 Define , for the purpose of this initiative, LLP for food as low levels of recombinant -DNA plant 
materials  that have passed a food safety assessment according to the Codex Guideline for 
the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant -DNA Plants 
(CAC/GL 45 -2003) in one or more countries, but may on occasion be present in food in 
importin g countries in which the food safety of the relevant recombinant -DNA plants has not 
been determined;  
 Work to ensure that the approac hes include both food and feed;  
 Continue  to work collaboratively to address the overarching problem of asynchronous 
approval s, while working to mitigat e the impact of LLP situations;  
 Work collaboratively to address the risk of trade disruptions resulting from LLP in order to 
facilitate international trade of agriculture commodities by developing an approach or 
approaches, desig ned to facilitate the management of LLP globally;  
 Recognize  that LLP of unapproved seed in commercial channels is also a challenge to seed 
trade and that it also requires collaborative efforts to address. Further collaborative efforts 
on seed through this initiative should be informed by the work being currently undertaken 
by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and D evelopment (OECD) in this area;  
 Assure  that these practical approaches do not compromise human, anima l, and plant health 
and safety;  
 Facilitate the timely and continued exchange of information on domest ic policies related to 
LLP; and  
 Continue  to implement the International Workplan on Low Level Presence  which structures 
our collaborative actions leading to the development of practical appro aches to reduce 
international trade risks related to LLP, with a view to have Ministers considering the 
endorsement of an approach or a set of approaches designed to facilitate the global 
management of LLP.  
__________