Last days for submissions to genetically engineered crops review

Greenpeace argues in its submission to the review of the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act that almost 80% of the world’s canola is non-GE.
“Claims that Western Australia is being ‘left behind’ by not adopting GE canola are nonsense,” says Greenpeace GE campaigner Louise Sales. “Europe is the world’s largest canola producer and decided not to adopt GE canola because of widespread community opposition to GE and concerns about the biodiversity impacts of the crop”.

“The proposed segregation protocols [in WA] won’t work and will remove choice for farmers and consumers. Initial attempts to segregate GE canola in Canada failed and now all their canola is marketed as GE.

“Consumers are being promised choice, yet industry plans to allow contamination levels of up to 0.9% in non-GE canola. This is not GE-free and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has warned companies they should not label canola products GE-free unless they really are. Since products derived from GE canola do not require labelling in Australia, the introduction of GE canola will mean that consumers simply won’t know if canola products are GE or not.”

In Australia, GE canola is grown commercially in small quantities in NSW and Victoria and Western Australia is currently considering lifting its moratorium on the commercial growing of GE canola.

The group Mothers Are Demystifying Genetic Engineering (MADGE) says consumers don’t want GE foods so farmers should not grow them. Their submission observes that surveys show the majority of consumers will reject food that they know contains GE ingredients.

MADGE’s submission states, “Whether the toxin intensive GM method of agriculture is a sensible way to produce food urgently needs to be debated… If these foods are no different to non-GM foods, then why is there a reluctance to let people know they are eating them [in Australia]?”

Prominent Margaret River Vasse Felix winery restaurant, owned by the Holmes a Court family, is among a number of businesses in the region that have made submissions. Executive chef Aaron Carr says: “We are trying to look after small producers that are producing more organic and biodynamic food.”

Manjimup shire councillor Paul Owens successfully moved a council motion to put in a submission to the review, which argues that the moratorium on GE crops should stay. He says: “Western Australia will lose the biggest advantage it has in marketing a clean food product.”

Submissions to the WA review can be made until Friday, September 11.  Further information on the review and how to make a submission can be found on the WA Department of Agriculture website: http://www.agric.wa.gov.au.