Identity Preservation of Agricultural Commodities

Abstract

Identity preservation (IP) refers to a system of production, handling, and marketing practices that maintains the integrity and purity of agricultural commodities. In its simplest form, IP has been employed since the beginning of agriculture when the seeds and grain of different crops were first traded separately. As the seed and food industries developed, the purity and quality expectations of buyers and processors increased and standards were established. Seed certification programs such as that used by the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) play a major role in maintaining seed purity standards at levels established by the industry for national and international trade. Similarly, commodity traders, marketing organizations, and food processors have established purity and quality tolerances for specific end-product uses. As crops and production systems have diversified to meet market demands, the need for segregation and identity preservation of agricultural commodities has increased.Crop varieties with unique product quality traits, such as high oleic sunflowers, low linolenic canola, or high oil corn, require IP programs to channel these commodities to specific markets to capture the added value. Similarly, organic commodities must be produced according to specific criteria and segregated in the marketplace in order to receive premium prices. The introduction of crops developed using biotechnology also requires new IP programs, as markets differ in their acceptance of these commodities. While some countries, such as the United States, Canada, Argentina, and China, have readily adopted crops enhanced through biotechnology, this has not been the case everywhere, particularly in the European Union (EU) and Japan. In addition, some countries are instituting labeling laws that require the segregation and identification of seed and food products developed using biotechnology. Thus, additional criteria for IP are based upon the method by which a variety was developed and whether it contains traits introduced via biotechnology (Suslow, Thomas, and Bradford 2002). Together, these factors are increasing the demand for IP programs that can certify the identity and composition of agricultural commodities. In many cases, changes in production and marketing procedures are required to meet these more stringent standards.This publication describes the essential features of IP programs, using seed certification as a model. Issues related to crops developed using biotechnology are addressed, and examples of specific commodity IP programs, including the California Rice Certification Act and the National Organic Act, are presented. Finally, economic issues associated with IP programs are discussed.

Coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops in the European Union. A review

“…Apart from seed production, experience with identity preservation systems is also available from the cultivation of different crop types grown for different uses (Sundstrom et al, 2002). Several of the proposed measures to ensure varietal seed and crop purity can be applied within the context of coexistence to limit the adventitious content of GM material in seeds and plant products (Sundstrom et al, 2002;Devos et al, 2004;Kalaitzandonakes and Magnier, 2004;Damgaard et al, 2007;Jørgensen et al, 2007;Gruber et al, 2008).…”

“…Apart from seed production, experience with identity preservation systems is also available from the cultivation of different crop types grown for different uses (Sundstrom et al, 2002). Several of the proposed measures to ensure varietal seed and crop purity can be applied within the context of coexistence to limit the adventitious content of GM material in seeds and plant products (Sundstrom et al, 2002;Devos et al, 2004;Kalaitzandonakes and Magnier, 2004;Damgaard et al, 2007;Jørgensen et al, 2007;Gruber et al, 2008). These measures include (i) the use of certified seed; (ii) spatially isolating fields of the same crop; (iii) implementing pollen barriers around fields; (iv) scheduling different sowing and flowering periods; (v) limiting carryover of GM volunteers into the following crop through the extension of cropping intervals; (vi) cleaning agricultural machinery and transport vehicles for seed remnants; (vii) controlling volunteers and wild/weedy relatives; (viii) applying effective post-harvest tillage operations; (ix) retaining records of field history; and (x) the voluntary clustering of fields (Fig.…”

Transgenic rice evaluated for risks to marketability

“…While such management is unique, there are precedents for employing identity preservation systems: the cotton industry ensures consistent fi ber quality, organic certifi cation tracks crops for labeling, and seed purity is maintained in seed certifi cation and quality control programs (Sundstrom et al 2002).…”

“…The CRCA relies on a risk management scheme called identity preservation (IP), which refers to "production, handling and marketing practices that maintain the integrity and purity of agricultural commodities" (Sundstrom et al 2002). Many crops -such as cotton, where keeping varieties of different fiber consistently separate is critical to marketability -require identity preservation for quality control.…”

Testing Methods for Agriculture and Food Safety

“…As the number of transgenes in commercialized crops increases, the techniques for detecting an array of different transgenes have become more sophisticated (Shrestha et al, 2008). 2) Process-based verification entails detailed recordkeeping of seed source, field location, harvest, transport, and storage (Sundstrom et al, 2002).…”