Genetically Manipulated Crops (GM) Field Trials in Oz

30 June 2001

Find out where some of them are located in Australia. Extract from the current number 30 newsletter.

GE Field Trials by Bob Phelps, Director, Gene Ethics Network

Monsanto and Aventis may be planning field trials of genetically engineered crops in your area soon. Use the following points to assist you in lobbying for your shire to be free of GE crops:

- Monsanto and Aventis both failed to comply with Australian regulatory guidelines on GE crops last year: Aventis in four states at its GE canola sites; Monsanto in ginning around 60 tonnes of experimental RR cotton in a commercial gin without segregation; Monsanto in selling more GE cottonseed than permitted under its agreement with government, increasing the allowable area from 160,000 ha to 175,000 ha; both companies have just been discovered to have mishandled trials at 11 of 58 sites in Northern Tasmania;

- GE canola pollen can contaminate related weeds, native relatives and other crops, creating environmental and economic hardship for local farmers;

- the companies contract farmers to do field trials, transferring responsibility (which lasts for three years) for compliance with the guidelines and laws onto these local farmers who may be ill-equipped to carry out the rules;

- the companies did not fully inform farmers of the nature of trials or the legal responsibilities imposed under their contracts, at Mt Gambier and elsewhere;

- the insurance industry (Insurance Council of Australia) has expressed the view that GE releases may be uninsurable;

- the owners of both Monsanto (Swiss drug giant Pharmacia has taken over) and Aventis (from multi-billion dollar litigation over the Starlink corn contamination in the USA) have both recently said they intend to sell out of agricultural genetic engineering, which may leave you to clean up any mess created by pollen, seed or other contamination;

- when the new law comes in on June 21 2001, Gene Ethics Network will be arguing that these companies are not fit to hold licenses, because of previous failures globally to comply with laws and guidelines.

Many other local governments nationally are also considering being free of GE crops in their area

Shires which have voted to be free of GE crops:

- In WA: Williams, Lake Grace and 2 other shires.

- In NSW: Byron, Hawkesbury, Willoughby, North Sydney, Coolah, Manly and Waverley.

- In Victoria: West Wimmerra, Yarra Ranges, Strathbogie and Moreland are GE-free.

- There are anecdotes of ten Tasmanian councils GE crop free.

Others say NO to GE crops:

- Keith Hamilton, Victorian Ag Minister will soon release a draft policy for GE free zones within the state;

- Kim Chance, the new WA Agriculture Minister, promised a Five Year Freeze on GE crop releases in November 2000.

- The Eyre Peninsula growers and councils in South Australia have just successfully told Monsanto not to field trial GE canola in their area.

For further information

Classification

Subject  Biodiversity
Regional relation  Australia
Audience  Activists - NGOs - Teachers and Educators