SAPID PROJECT LIFE 05 ENV/IT/937

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1 SAPID PROJECT LIFE 05 ENV/IT/937 ANALYSIS OF THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVE SYSTEM OF THE MARCHE REGION AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE AREAS CRITICAL TO CO-EXISTENCE 1. Agriculture and agro-food in the Marche Region The Agricultural Census 2000 created an opportunity to update the data pertaining to the agricultural sector, giving information on the most recent data of the sector and a new starting point. This is of critical importance to decision-making for the agricultural policy regarding the development of a key sector which will have to face the challenges of future. As shown by the Census, a decrease in the number of companies (about 18%) and the land area used in agriculture (-11%) has also been observed in the Marche Region. If this data seems alarming, it is important to remember the average-sized UAS enterprise grew during the inter-census period, from 8.4 to 10.7 hectares. The signal is certainly positive given the extreme fragmentation which has historically characterised the landed property in the Marche Region and inspires one to imagine a further growth in the direction of the minimal conditions for technical and economical efficiency for this sector. According to the Chamber s data of 2004, the enterprises active in the agro-food sector have increased in absolute number during the last three years but their comparative importance against the backdrop of all the Marche region s enterprises dropped to 2% for the same period.

2 In particular (regarding the data of 2001) we notice a drop in businesses which are concerned with agriculture, fishing and aquaculture while we notice growth in food industries and incrementally regarding forestry. Economic activity Pesaro Ancona Macerata Ascoli Piceno Marche Agriculture Forestry Fishing and aquaculture Food industries Total agro-food Total enterprises Agro-food/totals 21% 23% 31% 28% 26% Data extracted from Movimprese Percentage composition Economic activity Pesaro Ancona Macerata Ascoli Piceno Marche Agriculture 20% 24% 29% 28% 100% Forestry 31% 6% 29% 34% 100% Fishing and aquaculture 27% 26% 20% 27% 100% Food industries 22% 25% 24% 28% 100% Total agro-food 20% 24% 28% 28% 100% Total enterprises 24% 26% 23% 26% 100% Numerically, the most stable province was Ascoli Piceno which has also grown in the percentage of agricultural companies in the region while the number of enterprises active in the forestry has expanded by 3% in the province of Macerata. When the data is seen in this way, it also becomes clear that the agricultural sector registered a comparative drop in the regional economy in terms of production as well as added value. See the following table (data extracted from ISTAT- Central Institute of Statistics): Production, intermediate consumption and value added to basic prices (thousands of current euros from 1999) PRODUCTS MARCHE REGION AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL CROPS BREEDING AND LIVESTOCK RELATED SERVICES Total production Intermediate consumption Value added to basic prices FORESTRY Production Intermediate consumption Value added to basic prices FISHING Production Intermediate consumption Value added to basic prices AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHING Production Intermediate consumption Value added to basic prices

3 One notices in particular that in the economic environment of this industry, despite the shrinkage in cultivation, the figures for breeding and livestock remain steady while related services even appear to be on the rise. Significantly, the results obtained on the forestry products and, even more so about the fishing sector, are positive showing a reversal of trend in Crucially important to the sector s development, one figure from the census data reveals that the agricultural workforce very quickly is getting on in years only 6% of the region s agricultural workforce is under the age of 44. On the other hand, most owner/operators also work as managers and cooperating with their family as labour. Although older forms of operation like sharecropping are disappearing, agricultural businesses are not beginning to hire workers with fixed salaries. This probably indicates not only an owner s aversion to the associated risk, but also the seasonal nature of crop cultivation and the limited number of breeding operations. No. of ENTERPRISES. UAS BUSINESS FORMS Total Mountain Hill Total Mountain Hill Family labour only , , ,81 Predominantly family labour , , ,78 Predominantly Extra-familial labour , , ,31 Businesses with hired labour , , ,46 Businesses operated by Temporary forming contracts , ,36 - (sharecropped) Other business forms ,96-632,96 Total , , ,32 Of which Public Bodies , , ,48 Data extracted from ISTAT 2003 In terms of agricultural land distribution, cereal cultivation remains dominant in the Marche Region, with rises reported in these areas during the last three years due to the increase in the hard wheat cultivation. For this reason, it is important to reserve judgement on the effects of the EU agricultural policy, connected to the application of the new support measures, until the production data from 2005 has been reviewed. The net fall in the figures for the expansion of the sugar beet and sunflower crops is responsible for the total decrease of the industrial cultivation. The wine-making sector is of great importance in the Marche Region s agro-food system. With almost all grapes produced in the Marche Region destined for wine-making during the last three years, the Region generally yields around 1.3 million hectolitres of wine. About 60% of the regional product is white wine, the rest is red and rosé. Geographically, almost all the region s wine area (95%) is on hilly territory which is particularly suited to the vine cultivation; the rest is found in the foothills. Certainly, crop productivity is affected by weather trends, for example the generally critical state of 2003 and the following yield recovery of 2004.

4 Total surface Production per ha (q) HERBACEOUS CROPS HERBACEOUS CROPS Cereals Cereals 43,7 39,9 44,2 Soft wheat Soft wheat 43,2 40,5 42,0 Hard wheat Hard wheat 41,5 38,1 43,3 Barley Barley 42,1 36,7 41,4 Maize Maize 66 59,9 63,5 Dry legumes Dry legumes 21 20,7 22,0 Tubers Tubers 228,3 215,2 221,0 Vegetables Vegetables 175,6 177,3 178,3 Industrial crops Industrial crops 305,4 123,9 167,1 Rapeseed Rapeseed 27 23,5 21,9 Sunflower Sunflower 22,2 20,1 22,5 Soya bean Soya bean 33,4 30,6 34,6 Sugar beet Sugar beet 570,8 231,0 333,7 Perennial CROPS Fresh fruit Fresh fruit 141,7 109,5 134,0 Vine Vine 81,9 65,9 84,5 Olive Olive 31,6 29,4 38,1 FODDER PLANTS Total surface Total surface Temporary fodder Temporary fodder Crop rotation Crop rotation Perennial fodder plants Perennial fodder plants Cyclical data extracted from ISTAT crops Perennial CROPS FODDER PLANTS Production per ha (q) Fodder Units (000 fu) As regards the basis of the Marche regional livestock sector, the region is not characterised by particularly high number of livestock production facilities even though there are many valuable species to be found in the region; one exception to be noticed is poultry production, based largely in two production areas of national importance. SPECIES OF LIVESTOCK Cattle Buffalo Sheep Goats Horses Swine Poultry Rabbits Ostriches ENTERPRISES HEAD Data extracted from ISTAT Statistical analysis and evaluation of areas critical for coexistence 2.1 The situation in the Marche Region Marche s Regional Council passed a law, no. 5, 3 March 2004, Disposizioni in Materia di salvaguardia delle produzioni agricole, tipiche di qualità e biologiche (Provisions for the Safeguarding of Typical Agricultural Production and Organic Production) which forbids the cultivation of Genetically-Modified Organism (GMO) crops in the entire region, except for specifically approved programmes. Before this regional law, prohibition of the GMO cultivation was based on Legislative Decree no. 212 of 24 April 2001 which enacted directives 98/95/EC and 98/96/EC concerning the marketing of seed products, the catalogue of agricultural plant species and the related inspections. Art. 1, clause 2 of this Legislative Decree provides that the genetically modified species, in order to be cultivated, must have been previously authorized and enrolled in the national registers or in the European catalogue. In accordance with this law, even as early as 2003, the justice authority, on a signal from the ICRF (Central Fraud Repression

5 Inspectorate) sequestered and ordered the destruction of an 8 hectare field of GM maize, as the species had not yet been listed on the registers. (See Since 2004, with the collaboration of MIPF (Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policy) and in accordance with the Ministerial Decree of 27 November 2003, published in G.U.R.I. (Official Gazette of the Italian Republic) no. 281 of 3 December 2003, the Marche Region initiated a Comprehensive Plan for Activities Necessary for the Prevention and Contrast of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). The main method of inspection consists of verifying whether the seeds of maize and soya circulating in the regional territory are negative in analytical tests for GM contamination. In the Marche Region maize cultivation occupies a varying land area, oscillating annually between 16,000 and 18,000 hectares requiring more than 50,000 seed doses, subdivided into 200 lots (estimated data provided by the State Forestry Body). Based on this data, the minimum number of lots to be sampled for testing, in order to secure valid results, is 40 distributed over the four provinces. Soya cultivation, because of its low levels of occurrence in the province, does not have of this level. Attached you will find the results of the Programme for the Inspection of Maize and Soya Seeds Searching for GMO Seed Campaign 2004 (attachment 1) and the Programme for the Inspection of Maize and Soya Seeds Searching for GM Seed Campaign 2005 (attachment 2). During last two years of regional monitoring carried out by the State Forestry Body (sample extraction) and Zooprophylactic Institute for Marche and Umbria Regions (analysis), only a single sample of maize seed resulted as positive in tests for GMO. These results guarantee the efficacy of co-existence between GMO and non-gmo, at least in the maize seed production chain. 2.2 Evaluation of areas critical for coexistence The risk of GMO/non-GMO contamination and the areas critical for coexistence in the Marche agricultural system are strongly linked to maize cultivation, and in a very marginal way, to soya and rapeseed. The area which is occupied with the production of these last two crops is in fact only a few dozen hectares. Much more important is the maize crop which, for the most part, is to be utilized in the production of grain. A few hundred hectares are to be utilized in the production of pasture or fodder or to be siloed as cereal maize. For the year 2004, in addition to the data from ISTAT (Central Institutes of Statistics), there is data available on the land use for maize crops specifically related to areas where yield or revenue supplements requests have been made (data source SIARM Marche). While the ISTAT data are estimated, the data extracted from the production bonus requests sent to the EU CAP have high level of reliability and reveal, at least for the maize crop, an under estimation by the ISTAT data. In fact, according to 2004 ISTAT data, the lands used for maize production was 15,221 h.a., while the CAP requests show an area of 17,148 h.a. At the provincial level, SIARM data point out a net dominance for the Macerata province, where maize cultivation is diffused in the Picena and Chienti river valley.

6 Grain maize land area in 2004 (Marche Region, Italy) Grain maize land area (ha) Pesaro Ancona Macerata Ascoli Piceno Total 2196, , , , ,73 SIARM source Marche Region (2004 CAP data) The distribution at municipal level of the land area used for maize in 2004 is shown in Table 7 of the GIS Thematic Cartography. The CAP soya data for 2004 highlight the misfortune of this crop in the Marche Region due to low productivity. Soya land area in 2004 (Marche Region, Italy) Soya land area (ha) Pesaro Ancona Macerata Ascoli Piceno Total 5,61 30, ,32 SIARM source 2004 CAP data SIARM data on maize and soya for 2004 indicate that at this point maize is the only vegetable species grown in the Marche Region for which could potentially exist some critical states for GMO/non-GMO coexistence. For soya, the production linked areas of critical situation for coexistence are of little interest because the areas poorly used but also as a result of their flower biology which presents an automatic fertilization process which happens while the flower is still closed. The risk of contamination between GMO and non-gmo for soya are linked to their wide use in the livestock production and then to the commercial flow of raw materials arriving from outside the region, to their storage and processing into feed, to their marketing and use. In particular, it is important to remember that, while for conventional livestock accidental feed contamination with GM vegetable varieties is permitted up to 0.9%, so long as these crops were approved by the European Union. For biological livestock, the Reg. EC 1804/99 declares a complete absence of accidental contamination by GM in animal feed. In the case of GM traces over 0.9% the Reg. EC 1830/2003, establishes in its text the labelling contains Genetically Modified Organisms. The European Commission in a following Recommendation on 23 rd July 2003 underlined that this limit is applicable without extension to conventional and biological agricultural products in the absence of precise regulations which would indicate separate rules for biological agriculture. From one side accidental GM contamination is permitted in biological agricultural production to a limit of 0.9%, but on the other side the feed given to animals during biological livestock production must maintain a complete absence of GMO. For these reasons, it is valuable to analyse the biological sector of the Marche Region agriculture with particular attention to livestock.

7 Biological data During the two-year period , the reduction of producers in the Italian biological sector continued while the number of importers increased reaching 197 units in Even the surface area used, whether converted to non-gmo or already following non-gmo norms, decreased during this period by 9-10% each year. The operators in the sector interpret these changes as part of an adjustment and consolidation phase underlining however: the sector s strong dependence on Government support, which has been reduced, caused negative effects on the evolution of the sector; the reduced spending power of families; the absent or insufficient reorganization of production chains. Furthermore, with the enlargement of the European Community, another push will be demanded of the national sector to display its qualifications and competitiveness in the international market in the face of new countries which are at this moment coming into a parity with EU regulations but could become strong biological producers of grains, fruit and vegetables. In this context and at this moment Italy is in first place for Europe as agricultural producer while on the global stage it finds itself taking third place after Australia and Argentina. Reading the data provided by the regional lists of biological farm operators for the Marche Region it becomes clear how as a region it diverges from the national picture: food processors and packagers show growth and producers, which are leading in the biological sector and represent 3.5% of all agricultural enterprises, reaching a figure of 2,054, making a positive change of nearly 30% between 2003 and 2004; the previous reduction regarding the agricultural operators in 2003 was instead linked to a temporary reduction of the funds used in the F2 Measures of the Rural Development Plan, a programme supporting the presence of biological farming in agriculture. The processing/packaging and marketing enterprises of the biological sector number 135 and they are active in all sectors of the regional agro-food industry with exports also abroad and an estimated turnover of more than 60 millions of euro. Unlike the national situation, the regional land area shows an upswing. The data for 2004 is equal to 62,600 h.a. which represents 12.7% of the regional UAS and determines an average enterprise area of 30 hectares well over the regional average (7-8), a figure based on all agricultural enterprises (biological and nonbiological). The biological operators by business and land usage (Marche Region, Italia) MARCHE REGION % var 03/02 % var 04/03 Agricultural producers ,5 29,5 Processors and packagers ,4 7,1 Producers + processors and packagers ,8 27,9 Land usage (ha) ,5 28,5 Importers (source: SINAB) ,3-25,0 ITALY % var 03/02 % var 04/03 Agricultural producers ,3-16,8 Processors and packagers ,9-3,0 Producers + processors and packagers ,4-15,6 Bio. Land usage + conversion (ha) ,9-9,3 Importers ,9 12,6 Source: for Marche Region Regional list of the biological operators; for Italy data processing unit SINAB (National Information System on Organic Farming)

8 Figure 2 Biological operators on the Regional list for Marche Region When the data is broken down to the provincial level, Pesaro Urbino is the leader in number of hectares used for biological production (36% of the regional total) and, with 552 producers, has a higher land usage (41 ha) per business. The producers are most highly concentrated in the Ascoli area with the smallest average land use (16 ha) in comparison with the other provinces. The lowest incidence of biological producers and land use among the provinces is Ancona. Structural characteristics of the biological production by province (producers and land usage) Year 2004 Ancona Ascoli Piceno Macerata Pesaro Urbino Marche unità Biol. Enter Mixed Enter Conv. Enter Tot. Enter % Biol. Enter. 13,5 22,9 14,7 48,9 100,0 Mixed Enter. 12,6 46,7 21,0 19,7 100,0 Conv. Enter. 13,2 41,2 32,4 13,3 100,0 Tot. Enter. 13,0 37,3 22,8 26,9 100,0 ettari Bio. Land use Mixed land use Conv. Land use Tot. Land use % Bio. Land use 8,7 10,2 12,6 68,5 100,0 Mixed land use 20,4 21,2 31,2 27,2 100,0 Conv. Land use 9,7 28,1 48,6 13,6 100,0 Tot. Land use 14,6 19,6 29,8 35,9 100,0 Source: Marche Region Regional list of the biological operators As on the national level, the most important product for regional enterprises remains the fodder and cereal crops which in 2004 covered respectively 23,126 and 17,931 hectares. Aside from the aforementioned crops, between 2003 and 2004, we see a growth in land use for the following: wine sector (from 2,593 to 2,954 hectares); olive sector (from 916 to 1,271 hectares) and fruit sector (from 404 to 559 hectares). These sectors are particularly active in quality research and marketing. The growth in investment in the Marche Region differentiates from the national investment trend, which has focused on new land use for the olive, vegetable, potato and other seed crops. On the national level, for what concerns cereal production, there has been a drop in biological land use due to a withdrawal from barley, oats and above all of other crops; the land use investments for both hard and

9 soft wheat have increased; furthermore, we note a dramatic streamlining of the number of hectares used for sunflower and other industrial crops, which has halved the amount of Italian land used organically for industrial crops (between 2003 and 2004, the land use is reduced from 32,300 to 14,255 hectares). With respect to the previous figures, the demand for 2003 remained steady for national consumption of biological products even though there was a drop in agro-food product purchases, which can be linked to the negative economical situation; the initial data available for 2004 shows a reduction for sales in general and a renewed attention to bargain prices and special sales by consumers who were previously more disposed to pay a price difference between biological and conventional products. Meanwhile, consumption continues to increase globally (an average of 7-9% per annum). For 2004, the Italian market was estimated to be worth 1.4 billions of euro (equal to 3.2% of the agricultural sector and 1.5% of the food sector) and ranks fourth in the European market. Exports, 33% of national production, are concentrated on citrus fruits, olive oil, dairy products and eggs. While imports focus on vegetable and livestock productions. At this moment, regional producers in the biological sector are beginning to look for new ideas in order to highlight the regional origins of raw materials to contrast their products with those of the global market. Furthermore, as result of the successful requests for aid to Measure A of the Rural Development Plan (25%), the Marche Region biological enterprises are investing in business restructuring, paying particular attention to product diversification and offering hospitality and services (farm holidays and farming instruction and workshops). In November 2004, according to the policies set down in the Financial Law 200, Mipaf (Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies) transferred resources to the Marche Region for over 300 thousand euro for the support and development of biological agriculture. The targets for this aid from the Region are: Investments in management: the F2 Measure of the Programme of rural development has been established at 15 million euro per year for while the resources for the improvement in production systems on small farms (103 thousand euro) are still waiting for approval of State aid. Technical assistance: training for veterinarians in homeopathy and phytotherapy (30 thousand euro in 2 years); specialized assistance in establishing production chains and providing information services to biological enterprises (108 thousand euro for 2004 R.L. 37/99); technical assistance to biological livestock enterprises (330 thousand euro in 3 years). Research and experimentation: Research plan to develop natural alternatives to copper salt (50 thousand euro over 3 years); chromatographic analysis for an appraisal of vital soil conditions (16 thousand euro in 2 years); identification of 5 project ideas inserted in the research plan of the R.L. 37/99; SIMOCA project for the realization of a sustainable and multifunctional biological agriculture development model in a six municipality area near Urbino. Information and dissemination: supply of two-year grants to municipalities, hospitals, schools and care facilities for the introduction of biological food in daily meals (183 thousand euro for 2004, R.L. 76/97 and 4/02); Announcement 17. According to Law 23 December 1999, no. 488, and modified by Art (Promotion and development of biological agricultural and livestock enterprises) of Law 23 December 2000, no. 388 Nutrition and life for primary schools (150 thousand euro); Biological multifunctional enterprises (90 thousand euro in 2 years).

10 Biological zootechny in the Marche Region The basic instrument which is used to retrieve data about biological livestock enterprises is the notice of initial business activity which these enterprises must submit to ASSAM. Furthermore these same enterprises must communicate, with a notice of variation, any possible modification which may happen at the beginning of the biological production. From the analysis of the data retrieved from the Notices of Initial Business Activity and Variation, a database of organic livestock enterprises has been built which includes all data related to enterprises, including the data held by SAU, types and species to be raised in biological as well as conventional conditions, land registry office data regarding livestock structures, etc. Other information such as the provision of the livestock feed, information on the sanitation, use of livestock production, commercial channels, etc. Data is also collected by means of direct interviews with the help of specialists from Association of Biological Producers. The data and acquired information permits the creation of a database in Access, a software with enormous potential and flexibility, which can allow updating of functions and data. The completed work with data updated on 31/12/2004 was fundamental to the realization of the following phases of the project because it facilitated a delineation of organic cultivation structures. A particular detail which this first phase of data collection revealed, was the presence of a significant number of enterprises in which the agricultural crops are conducted biologically, while the livestock part is conducted conventionally. These mixed enterprises in comparison with biological livestock enterprises are higher as shown below: Biological Agricultural Enterprises on the 31/12/ With breeding (> of 3UBA number of Adult Livestock Units) 300 conventional 115 biological 185 Enterprises which already have a relevant experience and knowledge in biological operation could convert their livestock sector to biological standards bringing a significant increase in production. These figures therefore are indicators of a potential augmentation in biological livestock production, especially in light of the new CAP programmes for which pay particular attention to the well-being of the animals.

11 The result of this work is shown in the following tables: Distribution as of 31/12/04 by province of the biological livestock enterprises in the Marche Region Ancona Pesaro Macerata Ascoli Piceno Total No. of enterprises % Biological breeding of Cattle as of 31/12/04: Biological breeding of Sheep as of 31/12/04 Ancona Pesaro Macerata Ascoli Piceno No. of enterprises No. of UBA % UBA 3,6 3, UBA average composition Ancona Pesaro Macerata Ascoli Piceno No. of enterprises No. of UBA % UBA UBA average composition UBA composition as of 31/12/04 of biological livestock breeding of the Marche Region. UBA Cattle UBA Sheep UBA Swine UBA Poultry UBA Goats The following is a map showing the relative distribution by municipality of the biological livestock enterprises:

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13 During the last months of 2005, the Biozoo Marche database began the process of updating its database. During the year, many Notices of Initial Business Activity and Notices of Variation involving the use of biological method were presented. All sent notices allowed for the updating of the biological livestock enterprise list for 31 December The initial data, which arose from this update, revealed a surprising jump in the number of biological livestock enterprises, as shown in the following table: Comparison by province of the number of biological livestock enterprises with a livestock count above 3 UBA. Ancona Ascoli Piceno Macerata Pesaro Urbino Total No. of Zoobio enterprises on the 31/12/ No. of Zoobio enterprises on the 31/12/ % Increase + 3% + 21% + 18% + 6% + 48% Monitoring of the Agro-livestock Production Chain The augmentation in the number of biological livestock enterprises has caused an increase in the demand for certified non-gmo livestock feed. The results of the tests carried out by the Zooprophylactic Institute of Umbria and Marche Region on the conventional as well as biological agro-livestock production chain, have shown in their analyses a high percentage of presence of GMO. This does not automatically indicate a nonconformity among all samples; these non-conformities instead are found only in biological feed and, very rarely, in a few other cases. In the attached document (no. 3) you will find an analysis of the feed and grain (maize and soya), divided by municipalities and year. In the attached document (no. 4) you will find the positive samples, divided by: Municipality; Sample year; Type of GMO: GMS Genetically Modified Soya Roundup Ready; GMM Genetically Modified Maize occurrence Mon 810 or Bt176; The samples were taken in the four provinces of the Marche Region at the beginning of 2001 along the entire production chain. Whether the feed/grain samples were destined to be used as feed for biological livestock was indicated in the report, yet as of this moment the complete data is not available. The percentage of positive samples with respects to the number of total samples is extremely high and tends to remain constant over the course of several years, as shown in the table below: year Number of samples Number of positive samples Positive % 62,5 51,2 56,0 60,5 59,4

14 Nevertheless, it is important to point out that most conventional feed, at this juncture, carry the label This product contains genetically modified organisms. The extractions were taken from the following points along the agro-livestock production chain: Livestock breeding with conventional or biological management; In the field (only during The analysis resulted in the sequester and successive destruction of two crops of maize in the province of Ascoli Piceno); At customer sales centres; Farmers cooperatives; Privately-held businesses (this can refer to resale as well as breeding); Feed stores. The greatest number of positive samples was in the case of soya genetically modified with Roundup Ready: year GMO positive soya samples Since 2003, with the increased number of analysed samples, there has been a considerable augmentation in the number of positive samples taken largely from in the livestock breeding. Positive samples : soya Roundup Ready 20 no. positive samples Allevamento Punto vendita Privato sample year Consorzio Agrario Mangimificio

15 The following table shows the distribution by province of the positive samples. It is important to notice the data for the Ancona Province which, during the years 2004 and 2005, resulted in decisively higher levels than the other provinces: gmo positive soya samples (analytical) provinces year Ancona Ascoli Piceno Macerata Pesaro The number of positive samples relative to the number of Mon 810 or Bt 176 genetically modified maize samples is clearly lower. The only exceptional event occurs during the course of 2003 in the Ascoli Piceno province after the monitoring and the analysis of certain maize fields. This field give positive results and as result the total crop was destroyed. no. Positive samples Positive samples (maize Mon 810 or Bt 176) In campo Allevamento Punto vendita Privato Consorzio Agrario sample year Mangimificio The exact number of biological breedings which were sampled resulting in positive analysis is unknown: national and community rules have imposed a policy of zero tolerance so that all positive samples automatically become classified as non-conformity. Although the data is complete, Dr. Giuliana Blasi of the Zooprophylactic Institute Fermo, confirmed the presence of at least 5 positive cases in 2004, in the municipalities of: Campofilone, Montegiorgio, Monteprandone, in the province of Ascoli Piceno; Corridonia, in the province of Macerata; Serra San Quirico, in the province of Ancona; Urbania in the province of Pesaro Urbino. In 2005, the data being held by Dr. Blasi gave evidence of only one positive result in the municipality of Corridonia.

16 3. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of the statistical data from the Marche Region agro-food sector shows a strongly differentiated productive situation, which pays particular attention to the production quality, including a highly developed biological production sector, many indicators of DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and IGP (Protected Geographical Indication), 13 DOC wines and two DOCG wines, not mention the hundreds traditional products included in the specific national list. In such a context, a correct coexistence between GMO and non-gmo productions is an indispensable guarantee in order to allow the producers and the consumers a real choice. The analysis of areas critical to coexistence has brought forward the following results: The GMO monitoring of the maize and soya seeds, carried out on national and regional level, achieved very satisfactory results managing to sample 94.8% of the estimated total maize seeds on the market and 50.8 of the soya seeds in The objective for 2005 is to reinforce the surveillance laid down in Legislative Decree no. 212 of 24 April 2001 and covering 100% of all seeds. The results of this monitoring (only 1 positive case as of today in the Marche Region) show that the coexistence, realised in the seed production chain, can guarantee in an acceptable manner the possibility of a non-gmo choice for both consumers and producers. The risk of field contamination from neighbouring crops is still a subject of debate in the scientific world apart from being one of the main aims of current LIFE project. The research in the field and in statistical models indicate that, in maize, a sufficient distance (25-40 meters) between genetically-modified and conventional crops is enough to maintain a level of cross-pollination under the 0.9% level sanctioned by the EU in accordance with the no-gmo declaration. This limit of 0.9% is also valid for biological production, but absurdly will not consent to the use of this maize for biological livestock feed, respecting national and European Community policies. More complex is the analysis of the potential risk of contamination along the production chain for feed (and feed products). To allow a situation of real coexistence, it remains necessary to guarantee that any mixing of GMO and non-gmo does not surpass the 0.9% limit demanded for non-gmo during the production phase. Nevertheless, the areas most critical to coexistence are to be found along the biological production chain, particularly in the agro-livestock sector, as has been brought to the fore by the results of the test carried out by the Zooprophylactic Institute of Umbria and Marche Regions.. BIBLIOGRAPHY ASSAM, banca dati ZooBio Progetto Zootecnia Biologica L. 499/99. INEA (2004), L agricoltura biologica. Annuario dell agricoltura italiana, volume LVII, INEA, Il Sistema Agricolo e Alimentare nelle Marche Rapporto 2004, Osservatorio Agroalimentare delle Marche. Regione Marche, Dati biologico superfici e operatori.

17 Attachment1: ATTACHMENTS PROGRAMME FOR THE INSPECTION OF MAIZE AND SOYA SEEDS SEARCHING FOR GMO Seed Campaign 2004 Samples carried out by the State Forestry Body Prov. Ancona; Samples carried out by the State Forestry Body Prov. Macerata; Samples carried out by the State Forestry Body Prov. Ascoli Piceno; Samples carried out by the State Forestry Body Prov. Pesaro Urbino. Attachment 2: Attachment 3: Attachment 4: PROGRAMME FOR THE INSPECTION OF MAIZE AND SOYA SEEDS SEARCHING FOR GMO Seed Campaign 2005 Partial inspection of maize varieties sampled by ENSE and bought in the Marche Region; Partial inspection of maize varieties sampled by ICRF and bought in the Marche Region; Partial inspection of maize varieties sampled by State Forestry Body and bought in the Marche Region; Partial inspection of maize varieties sampled by ENSE and bought in the Marche Region; Chart summarizing maize variety inspections SURVAILLANCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF GMO IN FEED AND GRAIN Realized by the Zooprophylactic Institute for Umbria and Marche Regions; SURVAILLANCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF GMO IN FEED AND GRAIN POSITIVE RESULTS Realized by the Zooprophylactic Institute for Umbria and Marche Regions;