With the continued increase in GM soya cultivation in the main exporting countries, 94 percent of soya cultivated in Argentina is GM and 65 percent in Brazil, the UK feed and food sectors will find it more difficult to maintain the current non-GM soya supply chain. This is one of the findings of a joint paper published by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The paper details the analyses made by the agencies on the potential effects of market trends and regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on food and feed imports.

Currently, non-GM soya costs more than GM, with the premium varying according to the supply and demand situation. According to the report this varies from US$5/ton to US$80/ton.

The paper is available for download at http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/foodmattergmreport.pdf .