Management of Monitoring Programmes: Options, Stakeholders and Participation

Presentation 1: Monitoring GM potato in Peru and in the Netherlands. R. Visser and M. Scurrah

Presentation 2: Field monitoring and research on GM crops in CIMMYT. R. Ortiz

Presentation3: Management of GMOs in ex situ collections in genebanks. C. Hoogendorn

Presentation 4: Monitoring strategies and management of GM crops: Perspective from the Industry. R Layton

Presentation 5: Monitoring strategies and management of GM crops: Perspective from the civil society. S. Sahai

Richard Visser reviewed GM potato work in the Netherlands and Peru in collaboration with Maria Scurrah. Monitoring of GM potato for volunteer plants in the Netherlands has occurred since 1990. For GM crops in centres of origin, special additional procedures are required, including analysis of gene flow, investigations of pollinators and pollen flow. These procedures were developed in GM nematode-tolerant potato⁶ . In the high Andes, improved varieties of Solanum tuberosum spp. andigena mix with the seven other cultivated and wild species. Gene flow was quantified, with overlapping flowering periods, sexual compatibility, presence of pollinators, and seed survival. Hybridization between cultivated and wild species occurred despite chromosome and endosperm balance differences, and more hybrids were obtained than predicted.

Rodomiro Ortiz presented experience with monitoring GM crops in the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); one of the CGIAR centres. Its goal is to improve low diversity traits and generate public-sector-provided products, which include drought-tolerant wheat and insect-resistant maize. A public-awareness campaign includes food, feed and environmental safety, monitoring of resistance and establishment of refugia, non-target effects and gene flow. Monitoring of genetic resources is a CGIAR-wide concern, with emphasis on the quality of genebanks. Decisions, policies and procedures about monitoring should be science-based, and this requires education, an area where CIMMYT/CGIAR can play a role. There will be a need to continue to evaluate the need for, and type of, monitoring as new (and unique) products are developed and released.

Coosje Hoogendoorn discussed the adventitious presence of transgenes in CGIAR ex situ collections. A 2004 workshop provided genebank managers with measures to adopt in response to requests for GM-free material⁷. High-risk crops currently include maize, which is wind cross-pollinated and has a sexually compatible wild species, Teosinte, in Mexico and Central America. Varieties may be protected by applying isolation distances and rotation. There is a need to develop screening tools and to ensure that best practices are adopted. Other high-risk crops, now or in the future, include canola, sorghum, pigeon pea, millet, Cruciferae, sunflower and forage grasses.

Raymond Layton provided an industry perspective of monitoring strategies and management of GM crops. Monitoring should be designed to test a hypothesis and it should be conducted only if recommended by scientifically based risk assessment. Monitoring studies should be located and designed to reduce uncertainties. The controls and end points should be clearly defined before monitoring is conducted. Important questions to be answered prior to monitoring include: “What are we seeking to protect?” and “How will the data be used?” Trained personnel and appropriate sample collection and analysis techniques are needed to ensure that the data will be useful. The audience for monitoring must be clearly defined and personnel who interpret and communicate results should be trained.

Suman Sahai discussed development of socio-economic indicators to assess the impact of GM crops. Socio-economic impacts of GM crops are relevant in a developing country context where livelihoods could be affected. Indicators for GMHT crops include changes in family income due to wage loss and shortage of weeding impact on health and veterinary care (loss of medicinal plants), impact on household nutrition and family income (loss of fodder for livestock and loss of supplementary crops grown on field bunds and field margins), soil erosion through loss of vegetation cover, and development of HT-tolerant weeds and the costs of eradicating them. The impact of using Bt crops should be assessed by monitoring the impact on lepidopteran resistance development that may be caused due to overuse of Bt transgenes. Measurements of the impact on organic agriculture, crop diversification, mixed farming and inter-cropping are needed, as well as agro-ecosystem and adjoining natural ecosystem effects, and the impacts on traditional farming practices and indigenous knowledge.

Discussion Summary:

• GM crop monitoring is an international issue. The CGIAR centres, relevant UN agencies, national and international centres and universities should assist in the development of effective procedures.


• The experts recommended that the biotechnology industry should work with the public sector. The majority of the information collected by the industry is not in the public domain, and a greater degree of sharing is needed. The capacity to do risk assessment and monitoring is often lacking in developing countries.


• Socio-economic indicators may also need to be developed to address monitoring of GM crops, especially in the context of developing countries.


• Raising public awareness and building confidence among all stakeholders is essential for establishing a successful monitoring programme.

⁶Celis et al. (2004). Nature 432.
⁷Workshop on: “Technical issues associated with the development of CGIAR policies to address the possibility of adventitious presence of transgenes in CGIAR ex situ collections” 30 August–1 September, 2004. http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/Policy/GMOWorkshop/