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Coexistence
Co-existence for crop agriculture can be defined as the
sustainable production of seed, food and fiber from
diverse plant varieties, crop types and production
practices.
Co-existence principles have been the key to
successful diversification of plant varieties and
production systems for food and seed as practiced by
growers and shepherded by national and international
seed associations from 70 countries over the last 100
years (AOSCA, 2008; ISF, 2008).
The foundation of
co-existence is good communication among growers,
handlers, shippers and marketers and respect for each
others’ practices and requirements.
There is general
agreement in agriculture that a zero tolerance or 100%
purity standard is not practical in field production
systems, but tolerances and thresholds for the presence
of low levels of undesired materials allow efficient
marketing while meeting end use quality and safety
criteria (FDA, 1998).
It is customary that the primary
responsibility for meeting specific market standards is
on the entity economically benefiting from it, usually
the producer who is compensated for higher quality
products (CropLife, 2006; Fernandez and Polansky, 2006;
SCIMAC, 2006).
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