GM Watch
  • Main Menu
    • Home
    • News
      • Newsletter subscription
      • News Reviews
      • News Languages
        • Notícias em Português
        • Nieuws in het Nederlands
        • Nachrichten in Deutsch
      • Archive
    • Articles
      • GM Myth Makers
      • GM Reports
      • GM Quotes
      • GM Myths
      • Non-GM successes
      • GM Firms
        • Monsanto: a history
        • Monsanto: resources
        • Bayer: a history
        • Bayer: resources
    • Videos
      • Latest Videos
      • Must see videos
      • Agriculture videos
      • Labeling videos
      • Animals videos
      • Corporations videos
      • Corporate takeover videos
      • Contamination videos
      • Latin America videos
      • India videos
      • Asia videos
      • Food safety videos
      • Songs videos
      • Protests videos
      • Biofuel myths videos
      • Index of GM crops and foods
      • Index of speakers
      • Health Effects
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donations
News and comment on genetically modified foods and their associated pesticides    
  • News
    • Newsletter subscription
    • News Reviews
    • News Languages
      • Notícias em Português
      • Nieuws in het Nederlands
      • Nachrichten in Deutsch
    • Archive
      • 2022 articles
  • Articles
    • GM Myth Makers
    • GM Reports
    • GM Quotes
    • GM Myths
    • Non-GM successes
    • GM Firms
      • Monsanto: a history
      • Monsanto: resources
      • Bayer: a history
      • Bayer: resources
  • Donations
  • Videos
    • Index of speakers
    • Glyphosate Videos
    • Latest Videos
    • Must see videos
    • Health Effects
    • Agriculture videos
    • Labeling videos
    • Animals videos
    • Corporations videos
    • Corporate takeover videos
    • Contamination videos
    • Latin America videos
    • India videos
    • Asia videos
    • Food safety videos
    • Songs videos
    • Protests videos
    • Biofuel myths videos
    • Index of GM crops and foods
  • Contact
  • About

GMWatch Facebook cornfield banner

INTRODUCTION TO GM

GMO Myths and Facts front page.jpg

SCIENCE SUPPORTS REGULATION OF GENE EDITING

Plant tissue cultures

GENE EDITING: UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES AND RISKS

Damaged DNA on fire

GENE EDITING MYTHS AND REALITY

A guide through the smokescreen

Gene Editing Myths and Reality

ON-TARGET EFFECTS OF GENE EDITING

Damaged DNA

Human error "probable cause" of GM canola mix-up in Oz (7/9/2006)

  • Print
  • Email
Details
Published: 07 September 2006
Twitter

EXCERPT: "The mystery still remains as to what the source of the contamination is."

GM WATCH COMMENT: Does anyone believe this is a controllable technology? And there's a lot at stake. As one farming expert told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation recently, being GM-free has been critical to helping Australia escape very low oilseed (canola) prices: "Where Australia has been benefitted is that our rapeseed is GM-free, free of genetically modified organisms, so we have been their preferred supplier into that EU market for the past 18 months or so."
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6801

---

Human error 'probable cause' of GM canola mix-up
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), 7 September 2006 http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2006/s1735224.htm

Human error has been identified as the most likely cause of the genetically-modified contamination of conventional canola two years ago.

Low level contamination of the commercially-grown 'grace' variety was discovered in 2005 during routine sampling of canola exports.

A trial of GM canola was conducted in Tasmania in 1998, and a year later grace canola was grown on a separate site three kilometres away, but an investigation by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator has found that is not how the contamination occured.

Alex Schaap from Tasmania's Department of Primary Industry says there is not enough evidence to provide a definite answer.

"The mystery still remains as to what the source of the contamination is," he said.

"The only hypothesis left standing is some form of human error, perhaps something as simple as somebody not labelling seed bags correctly, and seed hence being mixed."

The peak grains research body says it is continuing negotiations to try to secure the commercial release of genetically modified crops.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation is funding research into GM canola, which cannot be released to farmers because of state-imposed bans on the technology.

Chairman Terry Enright says the benefits of GM crops, such as disease tolerant wheat and barley, need to be proven.

"We're positively working with industry and with governments in a dialogue to make sure that we overcome these issues that are there," he said.

"And we're hopeful in the long term that if crops become available and can be assessed on a crop by crop basis, if they demonstrate benefit to the industry, that ultimately we'll be able to grow them, if that is what is required."

Meanwhile, Nufarm has bought the licence to develop and commercialise genetically-modified canola.

The agribusiness company has paid $10 million for Monsanto's Roundup Ready canola licence and germ plasm.

Monsanto was not able to commercialise the variety in Australia, due to the State Government moratoriums on GM crops.

Menu

Home

Subscriptions

News Archive

News Reviews

Videos

Articles

GM Myth Makers

GM Reports

GM Myths

GM Quotes

Non-GM Successes

Contacts

Contact Us

About

Facebook

Twitter

Donations

Content 1999 - 2023 GMWatch.
Web Development By SCS Web Design