Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 8 • Number 4 • 7th March 2008

GM CONTAMINATION ON THE RISE, COMPLICATES TRADE


Incidents of GM contamination incidents are becoming more frequent on the global agriculture market.

Environmental group Greenpeace recently released its “GM Contamination Register Report 2007.” Two-hundred and sixteen incidents of GM contamination are now recorded in the register, of which 39 took place 2007, and 35 were added for 2003-2005. Of the 39 incidents, 28 were involved the contamination of food, feed and seeds, and 11 were illegal releases. The report also found that non-commercially cultivated GM varieties were responsible for approximately 30 percent of the recorded incidents.

The trade implications of GM contamination can be significant. For example, contaminated US rice exports led many importers to close their markets to US rice, with product recalls costing over US$250 million. Russia also recently asked India to guarantee that there were “no GM crops in the rice, groundnuts and sesame seeds” Russia was importing, leading to additional measures and costs for India where field trials are currently underway for GM rice and groundnuts.

To prevent the contamination of non-GM varieties, the Greenpeace report highlights various methods, including spatial and temporal separation of crops and physical and biological barriers. However, the report also notes the fact that such efforts have been made to hinder contamination, more needs to be done. In addition to developing international and national regulations to address the problem, Greenpeace proposed that biotech companies be made “wholly financially responsible” for any GM contamination, giving the biotech industry the incentive to prevent contamination.

Additional information

The GM Contamination Register Report 2007 can be found at http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/gm-contamination-register-2007.pdf

“Biotech Companies Fuel GM Contamination Spread,” GREENPEACE RELEASE, 29 February 2008; “GM Trials in India Threaten Trade Ties,” THE TIMES OF INDIA, 13 February 2008.