SIGMEA: Sustainable introduction of GM crops into European Agriculture

Summary

EU Project on Traceability and Co-Existence
The EU-funded “Co-Extra” project is now exploring the co-existence and traceability of genetically modified (GM) and non-genetically modified (non-GM) products. It contains eight separate work packages. All in all 54 institutes and companies are involved in the research project which is funded by the EU with 13,52 Mio € for four years.
In work package 3, FiBL is examining the economic costs and benefits of traceability and co-existence together with eight other European partners. Each country will examine a different set of products.
In Switzerland, the first step will be to analyse the produce flow for maize and rapeseed and to identify the stakeholders in the value-added chain. This part of the project will be completed in the summer of 2006. Subsequently, the costs caused by traceability and co-existence will be calculated and it will be assessed whether customers would be willing to pay a higher price for guaranteed non-GM produce. In the final phase of the project the economic consequences of consumers' reactions to the new EU rules on labelling and traceability will be assessed.
Further Information:
GM and non-GM supply chains: their CO-EXistence and TRAceability
www.coextra.org <http://www.coextra.org>
Contact persons at FiBL:
- Matthias Stolze (http://www.fibl.org/english/fibl/team/stolze-matthias.php)
- Bernadette Oehen (http://www.fibl.org/english/fibl/team/oehen-bernadette.php)
- Marion Morgner (http://www.fibl.org/english/fibl/team/morgner-marion.php)
Coextra project coordinator:
Yves BERTHEAU
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
Phytopathologie et méthodologies de la détection
RD 10 - Route de Saint CYR
F-78026 Versailles cedex
France
Tel: +33 1 30 83 32 04
Fax: +33 1 30 83 31 95
Email: bertheau@versailles.inra.fr <MAILTO:bertheau@versailles.inra.fr>