Simulation and evaluation of GM and non-GM segregation management strategies among European grain merchants

François Coléno (1)

1 SADAPT - Sciences pour l'Action et le Développement : Activités, Produits, Territoires

Considering the European regulations, a product need to be labelled as containing GM when the adventitious presence of GM material exceed 0.9%. During collection, crops from many fields are combined to fill a silo. Three management strategies to avoid the risk of mixing GM and non-GM crops were identified by a descriptive work based on cases studies in various region of France: defining GM and non-GM silos and production zones; specifying the timing of GM and non-GM crops delivery at silos; or using local management rules at each stage of the supply-chain. To evaluate these strategies and to compare them to the actual supply chain management we propose a model of elevators' supply-chain management. The allocation of specific silos to GM and non-GM crops allows all the non-GM production to be segregated, but with a 400% increase in transportation cost. Specifying the timing of GM and non-GM crops deliveries allows all the non-GM crops to be segregated without any cost increase. Using local management rules does not allow more than 20% of the non-GM crops to be segregated without an increase in costs.

Mots clés: GMO; Co-existence; Segregation; Supply chain

Domaines: Agriculture, économie et politique

François Coléno. Simulation and evaluation of GM and non-GM segregation management strategies among European grain merchants. Journal of Food Engineering, 2008, 88 (3), pp.306-314. ⟨10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2008.02.013⟩. ⟨hal-00410683⟩