If the Bracks Government were honest, it would tell us the real reason it announced the ban on the commercial planting of genetically modified (GM) canola.
Instead of being honest, however, the State Government has given reasons that can not be supported by logical argument, and that fly in the face of expert advice.
Indeed, the Premier is misleading when he claims that the growing of GM crops in Victoria will adversely impact on our grains and dairy export markets and his decision will cost farmers up $135 million per year.
So much for his government concern for rural communities. Last year, in anticipation of the Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator giving the go-ahead for the planting of GM canola, the Victorian Government slapped a one-year ban on its commercial planting.
At that time we were promised an independent review of market implications.
It was accepted that there were no human health or environmental issues.
The independent review by Professor Peter Lloyd, released the same day the Premier announced he was extending the ban on the commercial production of GM canola to 2008 (25th March 2004), clearly states: "the Victorian canola industry is an export-orientated industry ... In almost all countries food and products processed from GM canola varieties can be sold, subject in some countries to labelling requirements".
Hence, the crucial question is -- is there a premium for non-GM canola seed over GM canola seed in overseas canola markets?
The answer is a clear "no".
A detailed study undertaken last year by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) reached the same conclusions: GM products are being traded on the world market; GM producing countries dominate the world grain trade; and that there is no premium for non-GM product.
The Bracks Government commissioned a second report from ACIL Tasman, also released when the decision to continue the ban on GM canola was announced.
This report is also clear in its findings, stating, "while there are some sensitivities to GM crops in Australia's key markets for agricultural produce, there is little or no evidence of any general price discrimination or market access problems."
Interestingly, while the Premier claimed the dairy industry supported the ban on GM canola, the ACIL report explains that the Victorian dairy industry currently imports significant quantities of GM soybean meal to feed its cows.
If the dairy industry is already using GM products, why would it seek to impose restrictions on domestic canola growers?
Double standards are common in the GM debate. Indeed few people realize that fully 35 per cent of the vegetable oil consumed in Australia is from cotton seed -- and the cotton industry has been growing GM crops since 1995.
Interestingly, the first plantings of GM cotton predate the Australian launch of the anti-GM Greenpeace campaign and the formation of the Network of Concerned Farmers.
The anti-GM campaigners are now conveniently ignoring cotton as an important source of vegetable oil and wrongly promoting GM canola as the first GM food crop.
The cotton industry, fearing a backlash from the multinational anti-GM lobby, is saying nothing. Because cotton seed oil extracted from GM cotton is identical to the product crushed from non-GM seeds, no-one has been the wiser.
In Sydney last year, Greenpeace re-launched its True Food Guide.
The big names of the Australian food scene attended the launch where Margaret Fulton declared that she hoped to keep Australia free from GM food and thus our food "safe to eat for my children, grand children and great grandchildren".
Never mind that the takeaway down-the-road was probably selling fish and chips cooked in cotton seed oil.
We can respect Margaret Fulton's desire not to eat GM food -- in the same way that we respect the rights of Moslems not to eat pork -- but the anti-GM campaigners do not appear to accept other people's right to choose GM.
We might choose to eat GM because of real environmental benefits, particularly in terms of reduced insecticide and herbicide use.
For example, the latest GM cotton varieties reduce pesticide use by an impressive 75 per cent. The new GM canola varieties will also require smaller quantities of safer pesticides while giving a higher yield. GM cotton has been an impressive commercial success and is used by over 90 per cent of Australian cotton growers.
The Bracks Government made a big mistake in banning the commercial planting of GM canola. The real reason was not concern for export markets, but fear. Fear of the unknown and fear of a backlash from fearmongers such as Greenpeace.
ADVERTISEMENT
No comments:
Post a Comment