PR - Comparing Maize Management And Coexistence Means Between GM And Non GM Maize In Two French Regions (p103-110)

We compared how coexistence in maize at the farm level was i) envisioned in the east of France where GM have never been really cropped, and ii) managed in the south of France where GM maize was cropped in 2006 and 2007. Surveys in respectively 27 and 23 contrasted farms were made in maize-rich sub-regions with high maize pest pressure. Sampling farms for diversity, we used semi-directive interviews with two different protocols for the 2 regions. After data analysis, we identified factors explaining the choice of GM or NGM maize cropping like: presence of maize specialty crops (no GM), presence of other technical scope of progress for maize yield (no GM), perception of corn borer as a risk (more GM) or return time of maize (more GM when maize is frequent). We also identified the different coexistence means preferred according to the region: buffer zone in the South of France with its large fields and sowing period shifts in the East of France where available sowing days are plenty in the spring. We also found out that the results of the first year of testing the GM crop may be the main factor explaining GM maize adoption or abandonment. We will use these results to build a multi-criteria model of maize allocation in a small region.

Keywords: coexistence, farm level, maize management, GMO