Planting the future: opportunities and challenges for using ... - EASAC

2 International comparison of policy choices and GM experience
Summary of emerging points from Chapter 2
• Many countries in the Americas and Asia
are actively adopting GM crops. Agricultural
innovation is becoming an important part of the
economy in many countries outside the EU. In this
chapter, case studies are provided from different
countries to exemplify particular points relating
to impact, research and development (R&D) and
regulation.
• There is now a significant volume of information
from environmental and socio-economic indicators
to characterise the impact of the first generation of
GM crops, revealing a range of benefits. Therefore,
it is critically important to ensure that the adoption
of GM crops is given due consideration, based on
the scientific evidence, within well-characterised
good agricultural practice, and alongside attention
to other multiple societal challenges associated
with marginalisation and inequity. According
to the aggregate evidence, GM has no greater
adverse impact than any other technology used in
plant breeding.
• Considerable experience is being gained in
developing workable GM crop regulatory
frameworks that also act to encourage innovation
and support significant growth in research.
• There is an enhanced role possible for many
academies of science worldwide in using the
available scientific evidence to advise on the
options for policy-makers. There would also be
great value in ensuring better global coordination
of such advice.
2.1 Introduction
GM crops were planted commercially for the first time in
1996, on a surface area of 1.7 million hectares. By 2012,
the total area cultivated with GM crops had risen to over
170 million hectares and, significantly, over half of this
production is now accounted for by developing countries
(James, 2012; and see Chapter 1).
Different strategic decisions taken by other countries
are expected to have consequences for EU policy, not
just in terms of burgeoning global competition, but
also by constraining EU policy choices. The objective
of this chapter is briefly to describe emerging global
trends in terms of policies regarding food production,
trade and investment in agricultural R&D over the
past decade or so, and to highlight some of the likely
implications of these trends for the EU in the medium
term. The socio-economic and environmental impact
and regulatory framework related to the adoption of GM
crops in several comparator countries who have taken a
different path by their decision to adopt GM crops more
actively will be analysed. In this chapter we highlight
specific aspects in the different countries, selected to
illustrate particular key issues for impact, innovation and
regulation. Additional background information on the
comparator countries, with respect to status of adoption
of GM crops, regulatory systems, socio-economic impacts
and trends in agricultural research is provided in Appendix
3, whereas Appendix 4 briefly describes methodological
considerations in assessing the impact of GM crops.
An analysis of selected African countries is provided in
Chapter 3 and Appendix 5.
The comparator countries that have been chosen for
a more in-depth analysis in the present chapter are
Argentina, Brazil, India, Australia and Canada. The
reasons for this choice are as follows.
1. These counties were early adopters of GM
technology and each now grows GM crops on a large
scale (more than one million hectares each).
2. These economies account for a major portion of
global grains and oilseed production, and play
a significant role in the global trade of these
commodities.
3. The emerging economies of Argentina, Brazil and
India have also established, to varying degrees,
important research programmes for the development
of GM crops suited to local agronomic conditions and
market needs. These are funded by both the public
and the private sectors and hence these countries
are set to become increasingly important technology
providers in the short- to mid-term. In 2011 Brazil
approved production of a GM bean variety, the first
authorised GM crop developed exclusively with
public funding. India has also developed a GM
crop (GM aubergine) which addresses important
national agricultural constraints (although it has
yet to approve it due to political and civil society
opposition). In addition, these countries have
developed the institutional requirements needed
rapidly to adapt foreign GM technology to suit local
agronomic conditions and needs.
4. Australia will also be considered in this review,
because the policies pertaining to food production,
science and innovation in agriculture of this country
are very mindful of strategic decisions taken by
developing countries with regards to the uptake of
GM crops. In addition, the Australian experience with
EASAC Planting the future | June 2013 | 9