Coexistence in the Oregon seed industry

Abstract

A highly successful program for coexistence through exists in the Willamette Valley Specialty Seed Association where proactive stewardship policies supporting coexistence are used. These policies should be developed by a stewardship committee in anticipation of the release of a GE trait. Sustaining a stewardship policy needs the proactive engagement of all affected parties, including trait owners, growers, and relevant organizations and agencies. An important consideration when establishing new policies is the development of reasonable tolerance thresholds for GE traits, to avoid inflicting zero tolerance standards on an industry.