A delegation of Japanese anti-GM activists recently visited Australia demanding our farmers not grow genetically modified canola and then the Australian Democrats declared “keeping Australia GMO free” a federal election issue.
Today the Australian Oilseeds Federation has responded with a media release:
“The Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF) urges recognition of the Australian grains industry’s capacity to deliver choice across the supply chain spectrum with the commercialisation of approved GM canola.
The capacity to deliver choice is built on the comprehensive and world-class protocols and processes that already operate in the Australian grains industry to enable grains and grain products to meet regulatory and customer specifications, and provide confidence to consumers.
Commenting on some recent claims from lobbyists that the Japanese market didn’t want GM canola, President of the Australian Oilseeds Federation, Robert Green, said the opposite is true.
“Japan has purchased GM canola from Canada for many years. Indeed, more than 80% of Japan’s canola imports are from Canada, and this is generally mixed with canola from Australia and from other countries,” he said.
“However, the AOF and the grains industry supply chain do recognise that within some markets there may be customers who prefer non-GM products.”
Mr Green said this is precisely what the Australian grains industry supply chain has considered, addressed and endorsed.
“If customers wish to purchase non-GM grain they can do so with confidence, knowing that the supply chain can be managed to meet their needs.
In August, the industry released a report signed-off by 29 key industry organisations.
Mr Green said this report demonstrates the industry’s capacity to manage canola in the supply chain and move ahead with the commercialisation of the approved GM canola varieties, whilst still ensuring the supply of non-GM canola.
“In endorsing this report, the AOF supports the lifting of the market-based moratoria so that farmers who want access to the approved GM varieties can choose to benefit from the technology, just as their competitors in Canada have been choosing to do for the past decade.”
Mr Green notes that the moratoria are concerned with market and trade considerations, the crux of which is the ability to deliver choice.
“Australia has a global reputation for delivering quality grain and oilseed products that meet customer specifications and requirements, and as such, has the capacity and flexibility within its supply chain to deliver choice and meet market requirements,” he said.
The ‘Delivering market choice with GM canola’ report is available via: www.afaa.com.au or www.australianoilseeds.com
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.
Ian Mott says
October 30, 2007 at 11:33 amLets get this crystal clear. There is very little room for doubt that the world food market, over the next half century at least, will be A SELLERS MARKET.
But on one hand we have green algae frightening the kids with talk of world wide food shortages due to peak oil, rising energy prices, competition for land from biofuels, reduced production from drought, blah blah. And on the other hand we have these turkeys trying to tell us that the buying habits of entire nations will be shaped by the ignorant whimsies of food onanism?
Yeah, right, someone’s been drinking the bong water, again.
Schiller Thurkettle says
October 31, 2007 at 8:11 amA common thread running through events like this is that they all work to the *benefit* of countries which produce and use GM seed.
Competitors who might use it to their benefit are left in the dust. I’ve seen it over and over.
The industry lost a big one in the Philippines when those islands approved GM maize. The Philippines used to be a net importer of maize, but with GM, they’re self-sufficient, putting another of the many dents in the American (North and South) export markets.
It takes a lot of money to run a global protest machine, and the smart (capitalist) money is currently behind the protestors.