A framework for identifying the social, environmental and economic impacts of a new biotechnology: the European APPLE project

This work has been prompted by a collaborative European project, The Development of The European Apple Crop (DEAC), funded by the CEC (Commission of European Communities) involving plant breeders, geneticists, and molecular biologists. Its aim is to: improve the European apple crop by molecular-aided breeding methods; increase efficiency; and reduce the time scale in breeding for disease- and pestresistance and fruit quality. One of the key objectives of the DE AC project is to reduce intensive pesticide use in the apple industry by breeding new disease-resistant varieties. This paper discusses the development of an economic-ecological mathematical model describing the potential impact of biotechnology projects.