1.Premier comes a cropper with GM claim
2.Widespread outcry as bans lifted
3.GE, Rocks protesters converge on Parliament
4.GM crops: Organic farmers to 'lose their choice'
5.Western Australia and Tasmania urge States to maintain GM moratoria
EXTRACTS: Widespread outcry continued across the nation today after Victoria and New South Wales yesterday announced they were lifting bans on growing genetically modified (GM) canola. (item 2)
'The support for GM canola flies in the face of significant evidence of costs to the economy, health and environment...' (item 4)
'Opening up other parts of Australia to GM crops could lead to large-scale contamination, subsequent risks to market access and price premiums currently enjoyed by Australian canola farmers, while imposing higher costs on them for product segregation.' - Western Australian Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance (item 5)
'Nothing is labelled so we can't tell. To put this stuff out there while keeping people in the dark is just unfair ... they're taking every shoppers' choice away by not labelling and they're also, of course, taking away [choice from] the majority of the food industry that doesn't want it either.' (item 1)
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1.Premier comes a cropper with GM claim
By Catherine Best
Australian Associated Press, November 28 2007 http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22837256-29277,00.html
VICTORIAN Premier John Brumby has blown a hole in his argument for consumer choice over genetically modified (GM) foods, admitting the public won't always know the origins of what they are eating.
Mr Brumby today said the overnment's decision to allow GM canola crops had nothing to do with federal food labelling standards because there was already a proliferation of imported GM foods in the state.
He went on to say that eating GM foods was a matter of consumer choice but in the same breath acknowledged not all GM products would be labelled.
Opponents hit out at the Pemier's 'misinformed' remarks, saying no GM foods were labelled in Australia and consumers would be unwittingly exposed.
The debate rages after the Victorian Gvernment yesterday announced it would lift a ban on GM canola crops on February 29.
'Our decision yesterday really doesn't have anything to do with food labelling or food standards since large amounts of (GM) food are already imported to our state,' Mr Brumby said.
'Where there are low levels these things are not declared. Where there are significant levels they are declared and I think that's a good thing because it's about giving consumers choice so they can choose organic, they can choose GM-free or they can choose other food products which may have low levels of GM food in them.'
Mr Brumby said 92 per cent of the world's soy products were genetically modified.
Vegetable oil and cotton seed were also GM staples, he said, declaring: 'The reality is that many of the foods around the world that we consume in our daily lives have elements of GM in them'.
Mr Brumby said Food Standards Australia had strict protocols to regulate the labelling of GM foods.
But Gene Ethics spokesman Bob Phelps said that was 'absolutely untrue'.
Of the 32 GM products approved for sale in Australia only soy containing oleic acid had to be labelled and there was none on the Australian market.
Mr Phelps said the only known GM product in the home-grown food chain was cotton seed oil, used in fast frying.
The extent of other, imported, GM foods was unknown.
'Nothing is labelled so we can't tell,' Mr Phelps said Gene Ethics is pushing for all foods produced using gene manipulation to be labelled.
'To put this stuff out there while keeping people in the dark is just unfair ... they're taking every shoppers' choice away by not labelling and they're also, of course, taking away the majority of the food industry that doesn't want it either,' Mr Phelps said.
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2.Angry activists protest decisions to end GM bans
Food Week, 28 November 2007
http://www.foodweek.com.au/main-features-page.aspx?articleType=ArticleView&articleId=1125
Widespread outcry continued across the nation today after Victoria and New South Wales yesterday announced they were lifting bans on growing genetically modified (GM) canola.
As Greenpeace activists picketed the NSW Parliament, the Network of Concerned Farmers warned that the introduction of GM crops would cause a loss to canola farmers of more than $143 million a year. They also said non-GM farmers would suffer an unjust burden of at least $65 million a year for contamination testing.
The NCF called on the new Federal Minister for Agriculture and all State politicians to intervene immediately to prevent any decision to lift State moratoria
'If introduced, Australia will be the first country to introduce large scale commercial release of a patented GM food crop without subsidising farmers to compensate for higher costs and associated market loss.' said NCF spokesperson, Julie Newman.
Greenpeace said recent polls show that only 27.6% of Australian farmers want to grow GE grain crops and the majority of Australian consumers don’t want to eat them. More than 250 Australian companies have recently spoken out against GE crops including Coles and Australia's biggest lamb exporter, Tatiara Meats.
Organic food growers are also angry. 'The announcement by Victorian and NSW governments is a major affront to the organic food industry, and in turn consumers in Australia,' said Scott Kinnear, BFA GMO spokesperson.
He said it would be necessary to conduct expensive tests to find if non-GM crops had been contaminated by tainted pollen.
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3.GE, Rocks protesters converge on Parliament
ABC News, 28 November 2007 [shortened] http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/28/2103625.htm
There have been duelling protests outside New South Wales Parliament in Sydney, with Greenpeace activists competing for space with angry stall-holders from The Rocks.
Dressed in white contamination suits, the Greenpeace activists have marched to highlight what they say are the hazards of lifting bans on genetically-engineered (GE) food crops.
The NSW and Victorians governments yesterday became the first in Australia to end the moritaria on GM canola crops, saying the move would put farmers on a level playing field with overseas competitors.
But campaigner Louise Sales says the legislation, introduced into the Upper House today, is ill-judged.
'There's been no long-term human health studies to show whether eating GE food is safe,' she said.
'Those studies that have been done have given ample cause for concern.'
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4.GM crops: Organic farmers to 'lose their choice'
North Queensland Register, 28 November 2007
http://nqr.farmonline.com.au/news_daily.asp?ag_id=47169
The announcement on Tuesday by Victorian and NSW governments that they will allow the planting of genetically modified (GM) food crops next year has been blasted by the organic food industry.
'It's a major affront to the organic food industry, and, in turn, to consumers in Australia,' says Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) GM spokesperson, Scott Kinnear.
'The planting of GM herbicide tolerant canola will make it impossible to know whether organic or non-GM farmers are at risk, where GE canola has been planted and its pollen remains floating in the environment.
'Unless farmers undertake expensive tests, they will not know if they have been contaminated.
'Organic and non-GM food processors will be burdened with additional requirements for tests of grains and oils to manage and eliminate contamination risk.
'In addition, costly supply chain segregation such as containerisation will need to be considered by grain farmers and food processors.
'Other potential costs may include expensive food recalls where contamination has occurred.
'The support for GM canola flies in the face of significant evidence of costs to the economy, health and environment presented to the panels in both Victoria and NSW.
'The BFA put in a submission to both governments outlining substantial issues in all three areas and it is of significant concern that our submission appears to have been completely overlooked.
'The organic food industry is the global good news food story that is growing by 15-20pc per year. 'Governments would reap benefits for the environment and public health by supporting more organic food production rather than GM foods.'
SOURCE: Breaking national grains news, with full report in the November 29 issues of Rural Press weekly rural newspapers.
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5.Western Australia and Tasmania urge States to maintain GM moratoria
http://media-newswire.com/release_1057932.html
Western Australian Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance and Tasmania Primary Industries and Water Minister David Llewellyn have jointly called on Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia to maintain their moratorium on the commercial production of Genetically Modified (GM) crops.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Western Australian Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance and Tasmania Primary Industries and Water Minister David Llewellyn have jointly called on Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia to maintain their moratorium on the commercial production of Genetically Modified ( GM ) crops.
The Ministers urged the governments of these States to respect the wishes of Australian consumers, food manufacturers and farmers for the moratoria to be maintained.
'If Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia lift their GM moratoria, it will increase the risks to WA and Tasmania’s GM-free agriculture and threaten Australia’s overseas markets,' Mr Chance said.
'Opening up other parts of Australia to GM crops could lead to large-scale contamination, subsequent risks to market access and price premiums currently enjoyed by Australian canola farmers, while imposing higher costs on them for product segregation.'
Mr Llewellyn said that the likelihood of contamination of non-GM canola crops throughout Australia would undoubtedly be increased by any decision to lift the moratorium.
'In 2004, GM canola managed to contaminate crops in all canola growing States of Australia, despite the fact that each State had a moratorium in place,' he said.
The Ministers said the safest and most secure future for Australia’s farmers and consumers was in the production and consumption of GM-free foods and not in pursuing GM food crops that had been rejected by consumers because of health concerns.
Mr Chance said Australian farmers currently produced food of the highest quality and safety for both local consumption and export to a range of overseas markets.
'We are heavily reliant on our export markets and lifting the GM moratorium could jeopardise this trade relationship,' he said.
Mr Llewellyn said it could damage Australia’s international reputation as a source of reliable, safe and GM-free food.
'Clearly Australian consumers are concerned about the food they eat, and value Australia’s 'clean and green, GM-free’ status,' he said.
In Tasmania, there is currently a Joint Select Committee reviewing its GMO moratorium, which is due to end in mid-2008.
Mr Llewellyn indicated that it was very untimely for New South Wales and Victoria to lift their bans following Federal Labor’s win in the election, as this was an area of national policy that needed to be reviewed for the Australian brand and market advantage internationally.
'Unless consumers tell us otherwise, WA will not be changing its policy on GM food,' Mr Chance said.
'The moratorium supports Australia’s ‘clean and green’ status and is also reflective of overwhelming public opinion in WA and consumer sentiment around the world.'
Media contacts:
Minister Chance’s office: 9213 6700
Minister Llewellyn’s office: 03 6233 2451