Italy: Sapid Life Environment Project

The SAPID Life Environment project has revealed that, with the right prevention measures, contamination of traditional crops with GMOs could be kept below the current European standard of 0.9 %. However, 100 % GMO-free crops would require the creation of voluntary GMO-free districts. Managing the co-existence of GMOs and traditional crops is particularly important given that European law prohibits the banning of GMO foods and feed that meet community regulations. At the same time, traditional agriculture and in particular organic farming need to ensure that products are not affected by genetic flux.

The Italian SAPID project  started with data collection on the issue of co-existence together with a technical and legal study. The project examined the entire product chain from agricultural production to commercialisation to identify all the areas where GMOs could diffuse into the natural environment, changing the genetic makeup of other crops. The project team analysed the state of the art in the use of GMOs in the agricultural sector and prevention of contamination of non-GMO foods. They identified possible monitoring, control and survey methods aimed at preserving the genetic identity of traditional foods on the farm at the local level and throughout the supply chain. More information on the tools and methods devised to prevent cross-contamination of non-GMO crops and the project’s findings is available here

EU Life Programme