2011 articles

1.Canola spills contaminate
2.Independent GM canola tests confirm contamination in WA
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1.Canola spills contaminate
Gene Ethics, Media Release, 28 November 2011

Canola spilled along hundreds of metres of rail line near Dunolly last week [pictures available]. A fallen tree appeared to trip the safety catches on several loaded wagons full of canola. Trucks with vacuum cleaners have cleaned up the seed all week but the remaining spill is now germinating.

"We are relieved that Gene Ethics' tests of samples from the Dunolly spill site found no genetically manipulated (GM) seed," says Gene Ethics Director, Bob Phelps.

"But it shows how easily huge GM spills like those already found in Victoria and WA can occur wherever canola is grown and transported.

"Twenty recent tests of feral canola around the Lubeck silo East of Horsham found ten were GM plants and local farmer Bob Mackley had GM washed onto his farm in the flood this year.

"A truck spilled its load of GM canola near Williams in the WA wheat belt recently and more on-farm GM pollution is reported today at Cunderdin in WA (see below).

"GM and non-GM segregation and identity preservation were falsely promised by the GM industry and government Ministers before their GM canola bans were lifted.

"But governments allow the grains industry to use un-monitored and un-enforceable voluntary guidelines to roll out GM canola varieties that cannot be contained.

"Our governments should shut down GM crop growing immediately," he concludes.

More comment and high res pictures from: Bob Phelps 0449 769 066 or 03 9347 4500
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2.Independent GM canola tests confirm contamination in WA
via Gene Ethics, 28 November 2011

Monday, 28 November, Cunderdin WA: Independent tests conducted yesterday by WA farmers Ian and Jodi James have confirmed GM canola contamination on their land, countering WA Agriculture Department reports of no contamination of the James' paddock and prompting demands of the WA Agricultural Department to conduct thorough and rigorous testing of the James' land.

Using test-strips provided by Greenpeace, Mr and Mrs James found 13 positive results for GM canola on their non-GM canola farm near Cunderdin. Three of the positives tests were found on the James' land, up to 20 metres into the paddock. The pair will continue testing throughout the day.

"I feel really let down by the WA Agricultural Department," said Ian James. "They sent people out to do testing when we first raised concerns about contamination, but they barely stayed an hour before saying they couldn't find anything on our land and shot off."

According to the Agriculture Department, their testing showed just one positive result in the drain on the James' side of the road. The Agriculture Department found no positive results on the James' land. The department has yet to provide testing documentation to the James'.

Assisted by Greenpeace, Ian and Jodi James used a similar testing approach to the WA Agriculture Department.[1] They tested along the path where water washed across the road from the neighbour's paddock and into the James' paddock during storms of Thursday, November 3th.

"It is outrageous that the WA Agriculture Department rushed testing to produce a negative result on Ian and Jodi's land," said Greenpeace sustainable agriculture campaigner, Laura Kelly. "This is their livelihood; the government approved GM crops knowing it would threaten their business, and then didn't even have the decency to perform proper testing. This calls into question the independence of the WA Government in the GM debate."

"The whole process has been really emotionally draining for our family, especially right in the middle of harvest," said Jodi James.

"Terry Redman and the WA agriculture department need to come back here with an independent, 3rd party observer, to perform thorough, rigorous testing of our land," said Ian James. "They've just done a few tests and swept it under the carpet. "

Current premiums for non-GM canola are between $40 and $60 per tonne.

Comment: Laura Kelly 0407 414 572;
    Elsa Evers 02 9263 0379/0407 248 989