Europe has taken a small step toward softening its strict zero tolerance stance on unapproved genetically modified crops, but many in the grain trade continue to push for a giant leap.
In July, the European Union implemented a technical solution allowing for 0.1 percent of unapproved genetically modified material in shipments of feed products.
The policy includes a “level of uncertainty” factor to account for differences in testing results from labs in exporting and importing nations, which could drive the tolerance level up as high as 0.3 percent.
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That’s up from the previous allowable limit of 0.01 percent.
“At best, we can view it as a step in the right direction. What it will do is remove the uncertainty associated with testing,” said Dennis Stephens, a consultant with the Canada Grains Council.
However, the North American grain industry and a collection of European agricultural groups are encouraging EU regulators to take it one step further by expanding the policy to include food shipments.
Stephens said the technical solution was implemented at the behest of Europe’s feed manufacturers and livestock producers, who feared further disruption to feed grain shipments for an industry in desperate need of the product.
The push to expand the solution to include food grain shipments is coming from Europe’s oilseed crushing sector. The existing policy puts crushers at a competitive disadvantage to those importing feed grains.
Crushers import seed that is primarily used to make oil for food markets and meal for the livestock industry, which means the imported oilseed is still subject to the old 0.01 percent tolerance level.
“There is considerable pressure within Europe to have the food included,” said Stephens.
That is evident in a joint news release issued by COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC, the voices of Europe’s grain and oilseed, vegetable oil and feed manufacturers industries.
The groups said the number of GM traits commercially cultivated worldwide is predicted to increase to more than 130 by 2014, up from 30 today.
“Many of these products could find their way into the European food and feed supply chain and it is therefore important that a practical threshold level for GM products not yet authorized in the EU is set,” the groups said in their news release.
“Many EU member states have indicated support for the inclusion of food in the scope of the technical solution.”
They are also urging the EU to expedite its GM crop approval process because exporting nations are no longer prepared to wait for full EU approval before commercializing crops in their own countries.
