Corporate Crop Floodgate Opened

The Victorian and New South Wales governments have ended their respective moratoriums into Genetically Modified (GM) Canola. The move has given the green light to the controversial crop from February next year.
The move by Australia’s two most populous states and producer of half of Australia’s canola at 1.5 million tons, has pressured the remaining states to fall into line. The Pro GM National Farmers Federation (NFF) believes farmers have the right to choose whether they want GM crops or not. However, evidence shows that the spread of canola onto adjoining properties means real choice is not available.
GE Free Australia believes experiencefrom North America shows that production increases are minimal, chemical use decrease was temporary and ultimately the only real winners were the multinational companies like Monsanto and Bayer who would have control of the food supply deciding when and where the products were able to be grown. These big multinationals have also sued unsuspecting farmers for illegally growing their patented crops.
Geoffrey Carracher, from Minimay in the Victoria’s south-west, told the Bendigo Advertiser on 28 November, that last year he found high levels of contamination of his canola crop from nearby trial GM sites, despite promises from the GM lobby that this would never happen.
Companies are also worried of losing their all natural products as was shown by the 250 companies that signed a petition to the Victorian Premier arguing against the decision. As Tatiara Meats, Australia's largest lamb exporter, told the ABC on November 28,
"I think we have this unique chance to have a whole country which is clean and natural, and GM-free, and economically I think Australia will be much better off to market all its food produce overseas and domestic for that matter, as a natural, clean GM-free product, rather than give in to a couple of multinationals trying to entice a small group of farmers." Managing director, Eckard Huebl, said.
The Network of Concerned Farmers has countered the decision releasing a report explaining that the decision will mean a loss to Australian canola farmers of over $143 million a year with non-GM farmers carrying also affected to the tune of over $65 million a year.
Victorian Premier John Brumby has claimed the introduction will boost the economy and help the environment. Yet many people even his own MP’s have launched stinging attacks against the decision. Copies of Victoria’s chief scientists report were released only after the decision was already made.
Labor MP Tammy Lobato was just one of the dissenters to feel cut off by Brumby’s decision noting the lack of public discussion and independent analysis that had gone into the decision. Five Labor MP’s had written to the chief scientist arguing for a continuance to the moratorium.
Mr Brumby told the Age on November 28 that it was the “nature of politics” that people with strong views would be critical of views they didn’t like.
Despite claims that GM crops would be more environmentally friendly due to less pesticides being used experiences from abroad have shown how this situation can quickly change. The spread of weeds immune to the GM crops has meant that crops have needed more pesticides as time went on.
Gene Ethics, a group campaigning against the decision has also attacked the lack of labeling for GM canola products as further inhibiting the “right to choice” argument pushed by the pro-GM food lobby and its supporters. Products like margarines and oils, due to their refined nature, will not have to be labeled under the current legislation.
Representatives from the Biological Farmers of Australia believe a string of law suits could result from the decision with Goodman Fielder already coming out publicly against the decision.