PRICE · PRactical Implementation of Coexistence in Europe

Coexistence is still a controversial topic within the EU. Member States, farmers, and participants within the food chain have expressed an interest on the implications of different coexistence polices on costs, feasibility of achieving segregated supply chains, as well as implications for labeling and traceability. While a number of issues have already been addressed in previous projects, information about feasible and cost-effective coexistence measures at farm and supply chain level is still missing. PRICE will investigate the cost of coexistence practices in a number of Member States including the innovative solutions chosen by farmers to reduce coexistence compliance costs. A software module based on models resulting from previous projects (Co-Extra, SIGMEA) will be further developed with the aim to combine the natural science-based knowledge of cross pollination including biological containment methods at farm and regional level with solutions based on farmers’ knowledge and experience with co-existence measures. The software module will be tested in the field, used to systematically analyze different strategies for achieving coexistence, and developed into a user-friendly decision-support tool for stakeholders (e.g. farmers, grain handlers). Implications for traceability and labeling at farm and regional level will also be assessed. The risk of adventitious presence of GM events in GMO-free commodities is also important within international supply chains of agricultural commodities. PRICE outlines several scenarios about the evolution of the global market of GMO-free commodities taking into account a number of important parameters (e.g. prices, compliance costs) supported by two detailed case studies. A wide range of stakeholders participate form the start of the project via an interactive stakeholder platform for securing the practical relevance of PRICE activities and the link with similar activities in the EU and worldwide.