1.Fears GM wheat could harm Japan trade
2.Premier of Australia's largest wheat state bins GM wheat
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1.Fears GM wheat could harm Japan trade
ABC News, 24 March 2011
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/24/3172629.htm
The Western Australian Opposition says it is worried genetically modified (GM) wheat, from a trial in the great southern, will threaten trade with Japan if it contaminates non-GM crops.
A private farm in Corrigin has been selected as the site for a proposed trial of GM wheat and barley, due to begin this year.
The Opposition's agriculture spokesman, Mick Murray, says Japanese buyers, who buy 860,000 tonnes of wheat from WA each year, have told the Government they do not want GM wheat.
Mr Murray says the Government needs to assure farmers that they can contain the GM material and says a failure to do so could threaten farmers' livelihoods.
"I'm very concerned that if these trials are on a medium or even a small scale and the contamination gets into our wheat crops, it will be very hard to control and probably jeopardise our trade with Japan," he said.
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2.Premier of Australia's largest wheat state bins GM wheat
Greenpeace, March 24 2011
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/news-and-events/media/releases/genetic-engineering/premier-of-australia-s-largest
Sydney, Australia ”” Premier Colin Barnett has rejected the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) wheat in WA, Australia's largest wheat producing state, due to export market rejection.
Premier Barnett rejected the use of genetic modification in the WA wheat industry during question time on Tuesday. GM technology is patented almost exclusively to multinational chemical company Monsanto.
"I support science and I support research programs, but this Government has not made any decision to support GM wheat, and I do not expect we will," says Barnett.
The Premier points to rejection by Western Australia's major export markets as the reason for the state's rejection of GM wheat.
"We are not contemplating GM wheat and I did note Japanese consumers would not support GM wheat,” said Premier Barnett.
Greenpeace is now calling on Federal Agriculture Minister, Joe Ludwig, and the minister responsible for Australia's Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, Health Minister Nicola Roxon, to make public their position on GM wheat in Australia.
"Ministers Ludwig and Roxon need to follow Premier Barnett's lead and reject GM wheat in Australia, recognising the risks global consumer rejection of Monsanto's patented technology poses for our major grains export,” said Greenpeace Senior Campaigner, Laura Kelly.
"The federal government has approved trials of over 1,300 lines of GM wheat in Australia this year. Given the threat of market loss GM wheat commercialisation poses to Australia's wheat industry, the obvious question is why the Australian government continues to put their hand out for Monsanto's R&D dollars,” says Greenpeace campaigner Laura Kelly.
"What benefit do we get from developing GM wheat if no-one wants to buy it?”
"There is also a well established history of contamination resulting from GM field trails,” says Ms. Kelly.
"Can the federal government guarantee to Australia's wheat farmers that their conventional crop will not be damaged by contamination from GM wheat field trials and the resulting GM-discounting of their crop?" asks Ms. Kelly.
Wheat is Australia's most important food crop. Australia exports about AU$4 billion worth of wheat each year, and accounts for 14 per cent of the world's export demand.
Australia exports 80% of its wheat. The remainder is eaten here, but one of Australia’s biggest domestic wheat users, Goodman Fielder has publicly rejected GM wheat.
For further information or comment
Elsa Evers 0438 204 041 Laura Kelly 0407414572