Coexistence: with and without gene technology

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Fundamentally, we all have the same wish: a multitude of agricultural concepts, with and without gene technology, should be able to exist side by side in the long term. However, how does one achieve this in actual agricultural practice? In the case of maize or rapeseed, how can one organize the cultivation of genetically modified and conventional lines in proximity to each other while avoiding significant intermixture? Since 2004, the threshold value for intermixture has been set by law in the EU: adventitious, technically unavoidable GMO yields of up to 0.9 per cent are permitted without identifying labels on the harvested product in question. Nonetheless, this regulation applies only for genetically modified plants that have been approved for the EU and therefore have been categorised as safe.

 

Coexistence information system: Research results at a glance

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The cultivation of genetically modified maize is permitted in the EU. How far does its pollen spread? At which greatest distances is it possible to have in-crossing into stands of conventional maize? What are the influences of wind and weather? To address these questions, field trials are being conducted in several EU countries. A large quantity of scientific data and results has been accumulated to date - not only with regard to maize but also to rapeseed and other culture types. The coexistence information system contains closer descriptions of these, as well as clear and concise illustrations of the results of numerous experiments.

• Coexistence information system: to site

 

EU Commission: Coexistence remains in the hands of Member States

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Across the EU, the goal remains uniform - however, individual Member States retain the responsibility to decide upon the measures they implement in order to guarantee coexistence. Among the individual Member States, differing regulations on coexistence therefore are valid: in some cases, a distance of 800 metres is prescribed between fields of GM and conventional maize and in some cases a distance of 15 metres is seen as sufficient. In Germany, 150 metres have been prescribed for the cultivation season of 2008. In March 2006, the Commission presented a "Report on Measures of Coexistence": according to this report, more experience must be gathered prior to the establishment of standardised rules throughout the EU.

• A European patchwork: Coexistence in the EU member states

• European Commission’s report on coexistence: No uniform coexistence rules for the time being (13 March 2006)

• Commission presents coexistence guidelines (23 July 2003)

 

BMELV: Coexistence research programme

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Since 2006, the Federal Ministry for Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) has conducted a research programme on coexistence. Addressing pollen spread and rates of outcrossing in maize, the goal of the programme is the determination of minimum distances between fields of genetically modified and conventional maize.
 

Sience live

• "Our experiments only make sense if we use Bt maize." After the ban on Bt maize MON810: Can the research programme of the BMELV on coexistence continue in 2009. GMO Safety spoke to Gerhard Rühl, coordinator of the research programme. (30 April 2009)
• "A distance of 150 metres should be enough to ensure that the 0.9% labelling threshold is observed for the harvest taken as a whole." Interview with Gerhard Rühl
• BMELV coexistence research programme 2008 - Locations, trial design, research questions and results

 

Cultivation of GM oilseed rape 
Is oilseed rape capable of coexisting?

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The requirement of co-existence also applies to oilseed rape, however, the plants’ biological characteristics make its implementation more difficult. Not only, are rape flowers extremely attractive to insects, but oilseed rape can also survive outside the cultivated area. Above all though, oilseed rape seeds are capable of surviving in the soil for years. If GM oilseed rape is grown, such ‘volunteer’ plants would be a source of GMO presence in conventional crops.

As yet, no GM oilseed rape has been cultivated in the EU. Some say, an approval should be denied, because the plant is apparently "incapable to coexist". But is this true? Is there any scientific support for this belief? – GMO Safety asked biosafety research experts about it.

• Questions put to Antje Dietz-Pfeilstetter, (BBA Braunschweig)
  "Coexistence requires greater effort, but is possible in principle."

• Questions put to Broder Breckling, University of Bremen
  "The processes are highly variable, so coexistence rules must be sufficiently robust."