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The CINMa Index: Assessing the potential impact of GM cropmanagement across a heterogeneous landscape

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2011

Marcus J. Collier  and
Ewen Mullins

Abstract

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While significant progress has been made on the modification of crops for the benefit ofproducers, the same cannot be said in regards to eliciting the potential impact that thesecrops may have on the wider landscape and the diversity of life therein. Managementimpacts can create difficulties when making policy, regulation and licensing decisions inthose countries where agriculture has a significant social and ecological position in thelandscape. To begin to gauge the potential impacts of the management of a selection of GMcrops on an agricultural landscape, four key biodiversity stressors (Chemicals,Introgression, Nutrients and Management: CINMa) were identified and a grading systemdeveloped using published data. Upon application to five selected GM crops in a case studyarea, CINMa identifies areas in the wider landscape where biodiversity is likely to benegatively or positively impacted, as well as agricultural zones which may benefit fromthe land use change associated with the management of GM crops and their associated postmarket environmental monitoring.

Keywords

biodiversityCINMaGM cropslandscape impactoilseed rapepotato
Type
Opinion paper
Information
Environmental Biosafety Research , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , July 2010 , pp. 135 - 145
Copyright
© ISBR, EDP Sciences, 2011

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