ISAAA Briefs No. 34-2005: Executive Summary

Brief Background

Source: MAIZEEUROP - 2005

France resumed planting of Bt maize in 2005 after a four-year gap. France planted Bt maize in 1998 (1,500 hectares), 1999 (150 hectares), and 2000 (<100 hectares). In 2005, approximately 500 hectares were planted of which 200 hectares were for environmental monitoring, 100 hectares for experimental use, and 200 hectares for purely commercial purposes.

As an EU Member State, France authorizes a number of biotech products for imports under the EU approval process. With a large trade deficit for soybean meal, used in animal feed rations, France imports large quantities of soybean meal and soybeans for crushing. In 2003/04, France imported 4.55 million MT of soybean meal and 470,000 MT of soybeans with Brazil having displaced the US as France’s largest supplier. France does not import maize gluten feed for animal feed. There are almost no food products labeled as derived from biotech available on the market.

Value of Agricultural GDP: $39 billion

Major Crops:

National Maize Area (2004): 1.8 million hectares

Coexistence and Product Authorization:

France implements EU regulations on agricultural biotechnology, most importantly regulations covering traceability and labeling. The government is currently finalizing its Biotech Law which should be enacted before the end of 2006 and will include a coexistence policy, as well as evaluation procedures for crop biotech products.

Biotech Crop Field Trials*

*Under Directive 2001/18/EC (after 17 October 2002)

Menu:

• Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2005
• The Global Value of the Biotech Crop Market
• France: Bt Maize
• Portugal: Bt Maize
• Czech Republic: Bt Maize
• Iran: Bt Rice

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