organic/gm co-existence

[screener]

I came across this while looking at the way the EU deals with the environmental expectations the Community has for it's farmers. Farming by the way apparently covers 1/2 of European land. Anyway this problem of maintaining the rights of, and encouraging organic producers in the face of encroaching gm crops looks like it is being dealt with on a more positive basis than here in Canada. To paraphrase, much of the obligation for maintaining segregation is placed on a grower who would plant GMOs. As far as I can gather there is no such responsibility here.

Coexistence of genetically modified crops with conventional and organic farming - Agriculture and Rural Development - European Commission

The possibility of adventitious presence of GM crops in non-GM crops cannot be dismissed, and may have commercial implications for the farmers whose crops are affected. Consequently, suitable measures during cultivation, harvest, transport, storage, and processing may be necessary to ensure co-existence.

I think that the sentiments in the following are great but they also look like they might lead to a catch 22. I'm wondering if there is any more from other sources on how the process is developing.

Agriculture is an open process, which means that perfect segregation of the different agricultural production types is not possible in practice. Co-existence of these production types which will not lead to a systematic exclusion of one or more of them can only be ensured if the segregation measures are designed in a way that takes these limitations into account.

[forfismum]

And just to put a handle on the organic bit,I read at the weekend that some 90%+ of the so-called Organic produce sold in the USA comes from just 5 Californian farms

[Cricket Tragic]

Screener, some more details from Europe http://www.pgeconomics.co.uk/pdf/Coexistence_spain.pdf
http://www.pgeconomics.co.uk/pdf/Coe...e_paper_01.pdf
http://www.agriworld.nl/public/file/...03-ftcs8.1.pdf

Europe only has GM maize thus far and GM crop growers in Spain are required to plant a conventional pollen buffer provided they grow more than 5 ha of Bt maize.

Forfi, I suspect your informant was min-informed. There are a large number of suppliers of organic food into the US. Even in California there are some 1800 operations covering half a million acres. http://www.ccof.org/pdf/CCOFStatistics08.pdf More info here: http://aic.ucdavis.edu/publications/...view_00-05.pdf Also organic imports accounted for 12-18% of retail sales in 2002. ERS/USDA Briefing Room - Organic Agriculture: Organic Imports Outpace Exports This has likely increased since 2002.

There are a small number of large organic farming corporations based in California, such as Mission Organics and perhaps your informant was thinking about these operations.

[screener]

Cricket Tragic, This paper talks about some of the aspects of gene flow from GM to wild and tame relatives.

http://washburnlaw.edu/wlj/43-3/articles/glenn-jane.pdf

"Organic farmers have the most to lose, as they risk not only their markets but also their certified organic status if their crops become contaminated with GM genes. The level of contamination of canola on the Canadian prairies is such that this crop is now lost to them,

and they are concerned that other crops, notably wheat, may equally be lost."

One of the points being that the biotech companies are demanding the right to compensation for all future seed arising from their patents, but steadfastly refuse to accept responsibility for the economic harm caused by the same seed.

I note that the references you posted in particular the PG economics papers suggest that organic growers in Spain could solve a lot of their own problems if they would only have the good sense to loosen their quality control regulations with respect to allowing GM into their product. An interesting argument given the losses incurred by north American farmers who haven't had the benefit of the barriers required of GM producers in Europe.

[Grandaddy]

Is it terribly naughty to say 'told you so'? Anyway here's some more for the music collection ;

YouTube - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh)

YouTube - Muse - Time is running out

YouTube - Blink 182 - All The Small Things

YouTube - My Chemical Romance - Teenagers

Nice work adi didn't notice till I'd posted it )

[Cricket Tragic]

Screener, firstly there was never very much organic canola grown in Canada. Organic canola is very difficult to grow, because it is attacked by so many pests and diseases. It is also quite a large user of nutrients and organic farmers prefer their break crops to add nutrients, or at least not take many out. It is wrong to state that organic canola is lost to organic growers in Canada. It is still possible to grow organic canola in Canada and organic certifiers will certify the crop. Some examples of farmers and companies selling Canadian-grown organic canola oil: Canola farmer nurtures niche product
Fresh Pressed Oils - Flora Health Canada
Spectrum Cooking Oils

The reality of the situation is that there has never been a large market for organic canola oil as it has to compete with a large number of other oils. Given the small amount of organic canola that was grown in Canada and the difficulties inherent in growing it, I doubt organic growers who have chosen to give up the crop are worse off economically through not growing the crop.

Part of the problem that has arisen over the organic industry’s response to GM crops is that a nil tolerance is impossible to demonstrate. Therefore, mandating a nil tolerance just puts pressure on the growers. Many organic certifications merely state that the crop must not have been grown using GM seed. And I have yet to hear of an organic grower anywhere in the world losing their certification because of adventitious presence of a GM plant on their land. However, the carry on about nil tolerance has convinced the market that nil tolerance can be achieved and parts of the market now expect that. PG Economics is correct in that if the organic industry were to settle on a low but demonstrable maximum for adventitious presence, instead of a nil tolerance, they would have less difficulty dealing with some of the co-existence issues.

[screener]

Cricket Tragic It depends on your point of view whether there was much organic canola grown in Canada. If you were a farmer who was growing it and it was a major part of your rotation then it would seem like quite a bit of importance could be placed on it. Organic farming in Canada, was during the gmo insurge, and is still, just getting started.

Organic associations are still trying to come to terms with definitions and certification procedures. Because of the farm income crisis during the 80's and into the 90's, many people were looking for alternative means of making a living. Volunteering time to work for the local organic association doesn't qualify as off-farm income which banks were requiring at the time.

Perhaps if those farmers had had the big bucks to prepare reports like the pg economics studies, lobby the government, and go to court to see that the rights and responsibilities of the gm corps were all accounted for in the introduction of GM crops, we might have had a similar system of barrier strips as the Europeans.

It is true that if the organic growers were willing to

"settle on a low but demonstrable maximum for adventitious presence, instead of a nil tolerance, they would have less difficulty dealing with some of the co-existence issues."

I expect that if the organic growers the PG Economics people are talking about accepted a percentage of Genetically Modified material in their organic crops it would also make it easier for the GM corps to deal with the co-existence issues. What a happy coincidence.

[Cricket Tragic]

Screener, organic agriculture has been around for 50 years, hardly “just getting going”. Organic Farming in Canada

I would suggest that if canola was a major part of any organic farmer’s rotation, that farmer would be in serious trouble in the rest of the rotation. I was talking about organic canola as a fraction of the organic sector. Organic canola prior to 1996 was about 3000 ha. This has about halved, but has never been more than 15% of all organic oilseeds and no more than 2% of all organic grains. Organic flax has always dominated organic oilseed production in Canada and still does.

http://www.ota.com/pics/documents/Or...May%202004.pdf

There is still more than 1000 ha of organic canola grown in Canada and a further 1000 ha of organic mustard.

Growers of GM crops have never really had to worry too much about co-existence issues because organic rules only prohibit the growing of crops from GM seed. There is no specific prohibition in the rules from most certifying agencies against adventitious presence and in the US and Canada there is still no requirement for nil tolerance and no testing regime to support such a claim.

I have spoken with the major certifying agency here, who stated that they will amend their certification requirements if a GM crop is introduced to allow some very low level of adventitious presence. A quite pragmatic approach to the issue, but a long way removed from the rhetoric.

[screener]

Cricket Tragic, Whether a plan to increase the tolerance for GMied food in organic produce will fly is probably up to the consumers. Which organization is considering this and what is their reasoning?

Let's face it organic goes back a long ways before GM crops or even "conventional farming". What I meant was that organic after being reduced to very few was regaining some market share and respect due to the standard of care taken for the land and the food. If organic organizations are having to reduce those standards because GM crops are being introduced perhaps that erodes consumer acceptance.

An organic farmer that has canola as a significant part of his returns doesn't necessarily produce a high proportion of canola compared to other crops. Every little bit helps.

Much of the inspection process for organic production centers around verification and rely on honesty on the part of the farmer. Another good reason to get as much food as you can from someone close by. The requirements for isolation of crops, similar to the borders segregating certified seed crops from other crops isn't that onerous. I think it would be quite reasonable to expect farmers trying to bring new (GM) crops into an area to give their neighbours crops a wide berth.

[Cricket Tragic]

Screener, so which is it? Organic agriculture needs protecting because it is only just got going or organic agriculture is the oldest form of farming there is and so presumably need no protection?

I am not advocating a lift in adventitious presence standards for organic produce. Most organic certifying agencies don’t set an AP level and don’t test, so there is nothing to increase. Although the EU is going to set an upper limit of 0.9% to bring organic produce in line with other produce. I am just pointing out that agreeing on a demonstrable AP level would save a fair bit of angst and give the consumers of organic produce some certainty. It is in fact possible at present in the US to have a significant % of organic produce as GM, so long as GM was not used in growing the crop. As there is no mandated upper limit and virtually no testing, consumers will be none the wiser.

I suspect some organic agencies are keen to have it both ways: they want to claim nil presence, but don’t want their members penalised if there is some AP of GM material.

And frankly, if the organic industry can’t sort itself out over this and move towards developing a workable plan, why should anybody expect GM growers to take any notice? The current situation seems to be that organic growers start off by demanding that GM crops be banned outright, then move to banned in their state, then move to banned in their district. They demand a nil tolerance with no mechanism for determining and enforcing such a tolerance and generally don’t even try to engage with GM growers to develop a workable solution until after all else has failed. I suggest that with this sort of behaviour it is no surprise growers of GM crops take such little notice.