It is time for the Bracks Government to stop the duplicity on biotechnology. It can either promote the safe use of the technology or placate the Luddites but not both.
The Government has spent millions on a biotechnology strategy "to building on the State's strength in biotechnology by encouraging and facilitating investment; promoting careers in science, innovation and technology; assisting in the commercialisation of research achievements; and preparing a strategic direction for the industry"
It has done this because it recognises that biotechnology is a key transforming technology: changing old industries, creating new ones and providing means to solve many of society's most intractable problems. It also recognised that in this globalised world technological laggards are also economic laggards.
Last Tuesday, in the Budget, the Government reconfirmed its commitment to the technology with a $321 million up-dated strategy to amongst other things "position Victoria as a leading biotechnology cluster".
On Thursday, however it did the opposite by announcing a moratorium on the use of biotechnology crops.
This was done just as farmers were about to begin planting a variety of biotech canola -- produced by Bayer. This variety has after extensive testing received the go-ahead from the Gene Technology Regulator and has the support of the majority of farmers.
The crop in question is hardly new or unknown. It was developed in the 1980s. It has been commercially grown overseas since 1996 and now makes-up over 50 per cent of world canola production. The crop has produced no adverse impact on the environment, human or farmer income. Indeed it has proven to be a boon to the environment and growers with less pesticide use, greater use of soil saving minimum-till techniques, higher yields and lower costs.
There is concern in the community about GM food, which is understandable. It is a new and novel technology and to date the benefits accrue to farmers and the environment and not to consumer -- though that is set to change.
These concerns have been both flamed and exaggerated by the mother-of-all-scare campaigns. NGOs, including Greenpeace and ACF, organic farmers and front groups for "health" food manufacturers have spent millions of dollars on highly professional campaign of fear, threat, politics and commercial pressure to stop the technology. These groups are not the luddites of old -- they are wealthy, professional, influential and commercially motivated and funded.
The Government is however fully aware that the regulatory process it helped set-up and oversee is the most rigorous in the world; that the critics have been given ample hearing; that due process has been followed and that all concerns have been explored.
The Governments is aware of the extensive supplemental research showing the benefits of the crop to farmers and the environment and that it posses no market access problems or threatens the markets of other crops.
The Government is also aware that the regulator and, indeed Bayer, would tightly control and monitor the introduction of GM canola and that only about 1000 hectares of GM Canola would have been planted during the first year. As such the introduction of GM Canola would have been another necessary, controlled step in the testing of the technology.
Instead of following due process, the evidence, the advice of experts and the interest of rural communities, the Government has decided follow to the luddites and in so doing has done great harm to Victoria biotechnology sector.
The clear message to investors is to avoid Victoria as the sovereign risk is too high. Even if the product is brought to a commercial stage and passes the regulators, the Government is likely to ban the product in response to lobby by commercial competitors.
The message to researchers and entrepreneurs is to prepare to emigrate. When the government grants run out or products get to the commercialisation stage, you will be forced to seek more enlighten locations such as Canada.
To students contemplating a career in biotechnology, the message is to look elsewhere.
The massage to regulators and scientist is to look to politics not science. The massage to rural communities is not to try to get ahead, and to be satisfied with being a servant of visiting Melbournians. The message to consumers is that the luddites are right; biotechnology must be dangerous and the regulatory process flawed. The message to taxpayers is that the Government is squandering $312 million on a biotechnology strategy, which it is actively undermining.
The Government has failed on its first real test on biotechnology. While it may hope, that the damage will be limited by its claims to need more information on markets, this however will fool few as it already has two detailed report on markets. It may also hope that the fall-out will be limited to the agriculture sector but again it is will disappointed. The technology is generic as is its luddites opponents. Food may be the main battle ground now, but the battle will spread to medicine and manufacturing.
What is need is leadership based on good decision making and science, not duplicity driven by the politics of fear.
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