Model for the assessment of the impact of GM crops on non-target organisms

A mathematical model developed by scientists from EFSA’s GMO A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism which contains genetic material that has been deliberately altered and which does not occur naturally through breeding or selection Panel and the Panel’s Environmental Working Group has been published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society - Biological Sciences.

The model has been developed to estimate the exposure Concentration or amount of a particular substance that is taken in by an individual, population or ecosystem in a specific frequency over a certain amount of time of the European butterflies and other moth species A subdivision of the genus, a species is a group of closely related and similar-looking organisms; for example, in the case of Homo sapiens (humans), the second part of the name (sapiens) represents the species to the pollen of Bt-maize and to assess any possible adverse effects resulting from this exposure. In evaluating the renewal application of Bt-maize MON 810 EFSA’s GMO Panel also took into consideration data generated through this mathematical model. This allowed EFSA’s GMO Panel to make an assessment on the environmental impact of Bt-maize pollen on non target organisms such as the European Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies and the Diamondback moth.

• Article on the model in Proceedings of the Royal Society - Biological Sciences