Fresh information from UK farm industry body SCIMAC (Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops) has given a major boost to prospects for managing GM and non-GM crops at the practical farm level.

The two new reports were issued as EU stakeholders met at a roundtable forum in Brussels (24 April) to discuss co-existence - how to manage the production of GM and non-GM crops on the same farm or between neighbouring farms.

The first report is a survey of all farmers who took part in GM crop trials over the past three years. It found few practical difficulties in managing GM and non-GM crops according to co-existence guidelines. The second, an independent audit of growers conducted by ADAS Consulting Ltd, confirmed very high levels of compliance with the requirements of the guidelines.

"The positive response from trial growers and the audit process is very encouraging," said SCIMAC chairman Dr Roger Turner. "Overall it shows that the guidelines are based on procedures which farmers are familiar with, and which do not represent a major departure from current best practice within the industry."

"The farm-scale evaluations in the UK have presented a unique opportunity within Europe to apply a set of protocols developed specifically to allow access and choice to both GM and non-GM crop production."

"This experience, in what is without doubt the largest ever series of co-ordinated field trials in the UK, clearly demonstrates that the SCIMAC approach is workable in practice, robust in safeguarding the integrity of GM and non-GM crops, and capable of being audited."

Scientific results of the Government's farm-scale evaluations (FSE) will not be published until later this year. However, the trials have provided a key opportunity to assess the performance of the SCIMAC guidelines at more than 260 field-scale sites around the UK.

Overwhelmingly, growers found the protocols offered a workable and effective basis for managing co-existence under normal farming conditions. There has been no loss of non-GM or organic status as a result of the trials, an achievement on which SCIMAC will seek to build.

Growers taking part in the survey also gave a resounding thumbs-up to the performance of the technology, with 95% saying they would grow GM crops on their farm if available commercially. The two key advantages of GM crops cited by growers were:

Feedback from trial growers suggests that the vast majority (94%) found the SCIMAC guidelines very or fairly straightforward to follow. While growers identified increased requirements for record-keeping and segregation, the overwhelming consensus was that the guidelines offered an effective basis for managing co-existence between crops on the same farm (97% of growers) and between neighbouring farms (91% of growers).

The independent audit, involving on-farm and telephone checks, focused on eight critical control points throughout the production process, from seed storage and planting to separation distances, harvesting procedures and record-keeping.

ADAS confirmed there were no incidents of non-compliance at these critical control points over the three years of the trials from 2000 to 2002. Their report did, however, identify minor administrative shortcomings in documentation and record-keeping. This information will feed into an ongoing review of the guidelines and their performance.

Some improvements were suggested by growers. Most covered ways to simplify the guidelines, to take account of regional or crop-specific variations, and to reduce the paperwork involved.

"No GM crops have yet been fully approved for commercial cultivation in the UK," said Dr Turner. "At this stage, our aim is to have a system in place which will allow GM crops to co-exist with other production systems. There is more to be done, but we have made huge progress towards that goal."

The questionnaire survey of all growers who participated in the Farm-Scale Evaluations was conducted by SCIMAC in December 2002 - January 2003. 72% of growers responded, accounting for 74% of trial sites. Responses were evenly spread between FSE crop types.

The Supply Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops (SCIMAC) is a grouping of industry organisations representing farmers, plant breeders, the seed trade and biotechnology companies. Member organisations share a commitment to the open, responsible and effective introduction of GM crops in the UK.

SCIMAC membership comprises the National Farmers Union, British Society of Plant Breeders, Crop Protection Association, UK Agricultural Supply Trade Association and the British Sugar Beet Seed Producers Association.

SCIMAC has developed a management programme for the introduction of GM crops in the UK. The core aims of the SCIMAC Code of Practice are to provide identity preservation for GM crops, so allowing consumer choice, and to ensure effective adoption of GM crops within UK agriculture through best practice guidelines.

The objective of the Government’s farm-scale evaluation programme is to assess the effects on farmland wildlife of growing GM herbicide tolerant crops in direct comparison with current farming practice.

The programme is overseen by an independent Scientific Steering Committee, which includes representatives from English Nature, RSPB and the Game Conservancy Trust.

Ecological monitoring is conducted by a consortium of independent research organisations led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. The consortium also includes scientists from the Institute of Arable Crop Research and the Scottish Crop Research Institute.

SCIMAC’s primary role within the Government’s farm-scale evaluation programme has been to identify potential sites for final assessment and selection by the Scientific Steering Committee.

Sites have been selected to provide a representative spread for each crop type in terms of geographical location and farm type. Field sizes typically range between 2 and 10 hectares. In November 2002, the Scientific Steering Committee confirmed that sufficient sites and data had been provided to meet the scientific requirements for the spring-sown crops (oilseed rape, beet and maize) within the programme. 18 autumn-sown oilseed rape trials are currently ongoing.

ADAS Consulting Ltd provide independent and impartial services to farmers and the agriculture industry. ADAS has a successful track record in developing crop protocols and auditing.

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