Debates on the isolation distances to segregate fields with GM crops from fields with non-GM crops for the establishment of their coexistence

The coexistence policy of GM and non-GM crops is still on the debates in EU since “the recommendation on guidelines for the development of national strategies and best practices to ensure the coexistence of GM crops with conventional and organic farming” has been reported in 2003. The major issues are maximum tolerance level of GMO admixture and minimum isolation distances of GM fields with others including conventional, organic and seeds production. Majority of member states in EU proposed that the tolerance level of GMO admixture must be more strictly controlled, in particular in the fields for organic crops and seeds production. To this end, it was proposed that minimum isolation distances to segregate GM crops from fields with organic crops and seeds production need to be further extended than those of conventional crops since cross pollination with other crops adjacent GM fields is known as the most prevalent source for GMO contamination. In these circumstances, it is strongly suggested that the current legislations need to be revised including the minimum isolation distances of fields for each species before field cultivation for a commercial GM crop is approved for the first time in South Korea.

GM과 non-GM 작물의 공존제도의 정착을 위한 포장의 격리거리에 관한 고찰