Global standards of tolerance for the adventitious (unintentional) presence of biotech material in traditional seed are needed to prevent potential disruptions in domestic and international seed distribution, said the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology yesterday. 

"Since seed is produced in and subject to open environments, no commercial seed is 100 percent genetically pure, whether traditional or biotech seed," said Mark Condon, ASTA vice president of international marketing. "With the existence of genetically enhanced crops, it is currently impossible to guarantee that traditional seed will not contain a minute level of adventitious biotech material.

"Moreover, seed is destroyed in the testing process for genetic purity, therefore, only a small percentage of a seed lot can be tested. Hence, zero tolerance of adventitious biotech material, which may only be verified by testing 100 percent of a seed lot, is not possible."

As a result, ASTA and the International Seed Trade Federation (FIS) designed the International Seed Network Initiative in June 1999 to prevent potential disruptions in international seed trade. The initiative seeks to establish a globally accepted tolerance level for the adventitious presence of biotech material in traditional seed, standardized biotech testing protocols, and an enhanced quality assurance system in seed production to minimize adventitious presence. Proposed quality assurance procedures provide for positive identification, traceability, and control of seed through each step of the production process.

"Adventitious biotech presence can only be minimized by enhanced quality assurance procedures, not post-production testing," Condon noted. 

The OECD Seed Schemes, Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies, Association of Official Seed Analysts and International Seed Testing Association have agreed to move forward with ASTA and FIS on the initiative on an experimental, voluntary basis with interested countries. The initiative’s proposed tolerance level is one percent for adventitious biotech presence in maize, cotton, soybeans, and canola. Despite attempts by the OECD Seed Schemes to formally adopt the initiative, it was not able to do so, largely due to lack of agreement by the European Commission.

"The seed industry will continue to maintain the highest level of genetic seed purity possible to meet the expectations of domestic and international customers and consumers," Condon concluded.

ASTA will hold a press conference on the International Seed Network Initiative at ASTA’s Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Seed Research Conferences on Wed., Dec. 6 at 2 PM in the Exhibit Hall Meeting Room at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. For more information, contact Angela Dansby at ASTA at (202) 638-3128 until Dec. 5 or at (312) 565-4260 Dec. 6-8 in Chicago. For conference information, go to http://www.amseed.org/expo2000/index.html.  

Founded in 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), located in Washington, DC, is one of the oldest trade organizations in the United States. Its membership consists of about 900 companies involved in seed production and distribution, plant breeding, and related industries in North America. As an authority on plant germplasm, ASTA advocates science and policy issues of industry importance. Its mission is to enhance the development and free movement of quality
seed worldwide.

ASTA news release
N3167