Assessing the indirect and long-term ecological impacts of innovation in agriculture is a real challenge: the GM example

¹ Unité Eco-innov, INRA, BP 01, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
² CETIOM, BP 04, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France
³ UMR Biologie et Gestion des Adventices,INRA, BP 86510, 17 rue Sully, 21065 Dijon Cedex, France
⁴ Département Systèmes Agraires et développement, INRA, BP 01, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France

^a messean@grignon.inra.fr
^b angevin@jouy.inra.fr.
^c colbach@dijon.inra.fr.
^d meynard@grignon.inra.fr .

Abstract

All innovation in agriculture constitutes a significant and complex ecological disturbance, even if limited to a single and simple action. Indeed, whatever the nature and objective of the action, a large number of ecological processes are affected and numerous discontinuities may occur within the agro-ecosystem, in both time and space. As the GMO example illustrates, it is not sufficient to focus on direct effect of innovation, it is necessary to forecast mid- and long-term impacts of innovation with respect to the environment. Modelling phenomena appear then to be a key element to achieve this goal.