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Identity
Preservation
Identity preservation refers to a system of production,
handling and marketing practices that maintains the
integrity and purity of agricultural commodities. In its
simplest form, identity preservation has been employed
since the beginning of agriculture when the seeds and
grain of different crops were first traded separately.
As seed and food industries developed, the purity and
quality expectations of buyers and processors increased
and standards were established. Seed certification
programs such as that represented by the Association of
Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) play a major
role in maintaining seed purity standards and levels
established by the industry for national and
international trade. Similarly, commodity traders,
marketing organizations and food processors have
established purity and quality tolerances for specific
end-product uses. As crops and production systems
diversify to meet market demands, the need for
segregation and identify preservation of agricultural
commodities has increased.
Crop varieties with unique traits require identity
preservation programs to channel these commodities to
specific markets to capture the added value. Similarly,
organic commodities must be produced according to
specific criteria and segregated in the marketplace in
order to receive premium prices. Crops developed using
biotechnologies also require market segregation, as
markets differ in their acceptance of these commodities.
While an increasing number of countries - including the
United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia,
China, and India – have allowed the production of crops
enhanced through biotechnology and additional countries
such as Japan have authorized imports of GE foods, this
has not been the case everywhere, particularly in the
European Union. Also, some countries are instituting
labeling laws that require segregation and
identification of seed and food products developed using
biotechnology.
Thus, additional criteria for identity
preservation are based upon the method by which a
variety was developed and whether it contains traits
introduced via biotechnology. Together, these factors
are increasing the demand for programs that can certify
the identity and composition of agricultural
commodities. In many cases, changes in production and
marketing procedures are required to meet the more
stringent standards, which increase the cost of
delivering a product to market.
Asynchronous approvals
of specific biotech crops in different countries can
also create problems as products approved in some
countries begin to be traded and can arrive in countries
where such approvals have not yet been granted*.
* See:
Growing number of genetically modified crops worldwide
could disrupt international trade |
