§ Mr. BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to develop mechanisms(a) to prevent an increase in GM presence in conventional seeds and produce and (b) to prevent GM contamination of organic seeds and produce; and with whom this responsibility lies. [46622]
§ Mr. MeacherThe European Union has agreed interim measures to limit adventitious presence of approved GMOs in non-GM seeds to 0.5 per cent. More specific proposals are under discussion within the European Union. These would set cross-pollination thresholds ranging from 0.3 per cent. to 0.7 per cent. (depending on the species) in seed, in order broadly to keep GM presence in the resulting produce below the 1 per cent. threshold set for food. The Government are also considering what measures might be required to facilitate the co-existence of ordinary (non-seed) GM and non-GM crops and who should be responsible for such measures. For seed production, the grower of the seed crop is normally responsible for observing rules to achieve the desired level of seed purity. With organic seeds and produce, as with conventional seeds and produce, it is not possible to guarantee that GM cross-pollination will not occur, but we would like to aim for the lowest practical level, bearing in mind relevant factors, including the need to protect non-GM produce, the views of stakeholders, the practicalities of detection at low levels, and the costs involved.