Suggested Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the Coexistence of Organic, Biotech and Conventional Crop Production Systems  (A1275) PDF

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HISTORY

Contact was made with NDSU by the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society (NPSAS) in the spring of 2001. Concern was expressed about the ability of organic and identity preserved producers to have access to seed free of any transgenic genes. The people in attendance represented NDSU, State Government and the organic community. The issues were laid out on the table at this meeting and it was decided to have another meeting in the fall and have some presentation on the issues. This was done and at the end of the meeting it was decided that we needed to pursue this further. It was also stated that we did not have all of the stakeholders involved and it was decided to bring in conventional, biotech and identity preserved farmers along with representatives of biotech firms.

A North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant was applied for and granted. Brad Brummond was selected as grant coordinator and the Coexistence Working Group was founded.

The first meeting focused on identifying issues. The second and third meetings were used to gather and present material on these issues. The next three meetings will focus on developing Best Management Practices and Protocols (BMPs).

The outreach part of the grant to disseminate the findings will occur in the winter and fall of 2004. It is planned to post BMPs on this WEBSITE and in a written form that would be distributed at the meetings.

OBJECTIVES

1. Implementation of practices, protocol, and policies to insure purity and accessibility of genetic resource base.

2. Implementation of practices, protocol, and policies to insure integrity and marketability with the food system.

GROUP MEMBERS

Non Voting Members

Bradley Brummond, Grant Coordinator and NDSU Walsh County Extension Agent Dr. Gary A. Goreham, Facilitator and Chair NDSU Dept of Sociology /Anthropology Tom Hanson, Secretary and NDSU Extension District Director and Sustainable Ag Coordinator Ex-officio: Greg Wandrey, Pioneer Seed

Voting Members

Organic Farmers: Richard Gross Janet Jacobson

Conventional Farmers: Roger Weinlaeder Richard Schlosser

Biotech Farmers: Wallie Hardie Greg Daws

:Identity Preserved Farmer Robert Sinner

Biotech Companies: Luke L. Bozeman, Monsanto (Group Steering Committee) Ab Basu, SE Director of Government Affairs CropLife America

Organic Community: Annie Kirschenmann, International Certification Services Theresa Podoll, Executive Director Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society (Group Steering Committee)

Seed and State: Ken Bertsch, North Dakota State Seed Commissioner Dr. Dale Williams, Director Foundation Seedstocks Dave Nelson, North Dakota State Ag Department

NDSU: Dr. Albert Schneiter, Chair Plant Science Dept Dr. Ken Grafton, Director North Dakota Experiment Stations Duane Hauck, Assistant Director Agriculture and Natural Resources NDSU Ext. (Steering Committee)