Providing a framework for the analysis of the cultivation of genetically modified crops : the first reference document of the European GMO Socio-Economics Bureau

The purpose of this article is to summarize the development and main results of the first European GMO Socio-Economics Bureau (ESEB) Reference Document. The next section describes the background and drafting procedure of the Reference Document, followed by a summary of the methodology for assessments. A listing of the topics and indicators related to different groups in society, such as farmers, upstream and downstream industries, and consumers is included, and then the article concludes with a brief summary of the main results of the Reference Document and a view to the future work of ESEB