Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Lift Ban on GM Food Crops: Peter Corish

By

The federal government’s Agriculture and Food Reference Group handed down its report last week titled ‘Creating Our Future: Agriculture and food policy for the next generation’ (4,700 kbs). It is very long, over 200 pages, and covers a range of issues including GM food crops. I haven’t had a proper read yet, but received the following note from Roger Kalla:

Jennifer,

You might be interested to know that the Agriculture and Food Policy Reference Group (that called for submissions to its review of Agriculture and Food policy in August) has delivered its report to the Minister for Agriculture.

It was reported in Friday’s The Age under the heading ‘Call for ban to GM crops to end’.

I had a conversation with the Gene Technology Regulator, Sue Meek, about it on Wednesday at the launch of the Victorian Agribiosciences Centre.

Sue was very encouraged by the findings of the review led by the leader of the National Farmers Federation, Peter Corish, which put the emphasis on the lifting of the GM crop moratoria so that the Australian farmers could catch up with the rest of the world.

By the way, during the launch Minister Brumby was unashamedly spruiking for a new comapny Gramina PL which has developed GM grass with new health and animal production traits. The GM rye grass is hypoallergenic and has got a superior herbage quality.

No sneeze (humans) and sweeter taste (cows) are the real benefits of these GM grasses.

The problem is that they can’t be grown in Australia and have had to be field evaluated in the US!

Regards,

Roger

The National Farmers Federation has so far been silent on GM issues. It is great to see Peter Corish calling for a lifting of the bans and to see The Age reporting this.

……………………..

You can read my submission to the Reference Group by clicking here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. According to today’s Farm Online:

    The same day that an independent taskforce recommended to the Federal Government that the GM moratoria be lifted immediately, the South Australian Democrats have signalled they want that state’s moratorium extended another three years.

    Despite Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran backing the Creating Our Future report’s recommendation, the responsibility for laws on the GM moratoria lies in the hands of State Governments.

    And in the run up to the South Australian election, the Democrats have announced they will move in the new Parliamentary term to extend the State’s ban on GM crops for a further three years.

    They believe markets are still extremely cautious about GM foods.

    “Recent premium prices paid by Japan for Kangaroo Island GM-free canola is clear evidence that markets still strongly prefer GM-free produce that has been contaminated,” SA Democrats spokesperson for primary industries, Ian Gilfillan, said.

    http://www.farmonline.com.au/news_daily.asp?ag_id=32403
    —————————

    Interestingly the taskforce report say there is no premium from Japan for GM-free canola – or is Kangaroo island special for another reason does it grow organic canola? Jen

  2. The main issue with premiums is not whether they exist, but whether they compensate for the cost penalties incurred from using the least efficient practices, imposed on many farms by the state government bans. Financial decisions are based on profit margins and net returns, not unit prices. Also the special markets may be small. They took Kangaroo Island 4 years to reach agreement.

  3. This issue is the classic ignorant urban whimsy being dictated to a rural minority. A triumph of urban perceptions over rural facts. Imposing an actual rural burden to supply a purely palliative urban treatment. And we don’t even get favoured treatment in the urban markets any more. The longer the ban stays in place the higher the opportunity cost of not having a new state boundary in the blue mountains or the Dandenongs becomes.

  4. But Ian, there are so many farmers, at least in rural NSW and Victoria, who do not want GM. Even some GM cotton growers are against GM canola. I don’t see this issue as about rural:urban divide. Greenpeace has done a great job of sowing seeds of doubt – great propaganda job.