North American Farmers Speaking Tour of Australia: GM Seeds of Doubt

05 July 2002

North American Farmers share their concerns and experiences of Genetically Modified Crops. Speakers: Percy Schmeiser from Canada and Gail and Tom Wiley from the USA.

From 2 - 10 July 2002, North American farmers will tour NSW, VIC, SA and West Australia to share their experiences and concerns of Genetically Modified (GM) crops. (See below for tour dates.) The tour comes at a critical time for Australia, following the Office of Gene Technology Regulator's announcement that Monsanto has applied for the commercial release of GM Canola. The tour has been organised by a network of Australian farmers from the major grain growing regions of Australia.

Speakers include Mr Percy Schmeiser, a Canadian canola farmer who was ordered by the Canadian court to pay Monsanto for breaching their patent when GM canola was found in his 1998 crop and Gail and Tom Wiley, North Dakota grain farmers, who lost a major export contract to Japan through GM contamination of their crop.

"The Canadian experience shows that five years after the introduction of GM Canola, segregation is no longer possible," said Mrs Juliet McFarlane, a broad acre canola and wheat farmer from Young. "As a direct result of that contamination, Australia has gained market access into Asia and Europe and Australia's G.M. free status has given us a much needed competitive edge over other canola producers".

Mrs McFarlane explained, it is no longer possible to ensure Canadian canola is GE free (a requirement for organic certification) and there is now a class action lawsuit by Canadian organic canola growers against Monsanto because of this widespread contamination.

"Australian canola growers should be very cautious in their approach to the adoption of GM Canola and we need to thoroughly examine the cost of patented seed, the claims of increased yields, reduction in herbicides and gross margins before rushing into this irreversible technology. Gene stacking and herbicide resistance has become a serious problem in Canada and North America and if this happens in Australia, farmers will lose the use of their most effective herbicides," she said.

Mrs McFarlane explained the tour has been organised to raise awareness of the economic, agronomic and environmental impacts of GM crops on conventional seed crops from farmers who have had direct experience of the release of GM seed in Canada and the USA.

Percy Schmeiser a third generation Saskatchewan farmer was ordered by the Canadian courts to pay Monsanto US $10,000 for violating the company's GM patent as GM canola plants were found in his 1998 crop. As Percy says, "It didn't matter how the canola got into my field, whether it cross-pollinated, or blew in by the wind, birds or from a farmer's truck. The fact is the GM crop was in my field and therefore the court ruled I had violated Monsanto's GM patent". Percy is now appealing the ruling on the basis of farmers' age old right to save seed from their own land. For Percy's story visit: http://www.percyschmeiser.com

Tom and Gail Wiley, third generation Dakota grain farmers lost a major contract to Japan after their conventional soybean crop was contaminated by cross-pollination from a neighbour's Roundup Ready soybeans.

"We know that in America and Canada different farmers groups are now lobbying their governments for a moratorium on the release of further GM seed. Australia can learn from the experiences of other nations and decide who really benefits from GM crops.

"GM Canola is a patented product and it is an irreversible technology. Australian farmers need to be conscious of their markets which are requesting GM free canola. We need more time and unbiased information on the risks and benefits before making this very important decision," MrsMcFarlane said.

The tour has been organised by a network of concerned farmers, covering all the major grain growing regions of Australia. We, like many farmers, are concerned about the potential economic and environmental impacts of GM crops.

Tour spokespeople: Juliet McFarlane, NSW, tel: (02) 6382 2509, Scott Kinnear, VIC, tel: (0419) 881 729 and Julie Newman, WA, tel: (08) 9871 1562.

TOUR DATES

NSW

Wed 3 July

9am - 11.30am, Dubbo RSL Memorial Club, Brisbane Street

7pm - 9.30pm, Cowra Bowls Club, Vaux St, Cowra

Thurs 4 July

7pm - 9.30pm, Wagga Wagga Leagues Club, Gurwood Street

Victoria

Friday 5 July

7.30pm - 9.30pm, Salvation Army Auditorium, Mundy St, Bendigo

South Australia

Sunday 7 July

3pm - 5pm, Commodore Hotel, Jubilee Highway & Penola Rd, Mt. Gambier

Mon 8 July

8pm - 10pm, Clare Town Hall, Main St, Clare

Western Australia

Wed 10 July

7pm - 9.30pm York Town Hall, Avon Terrace, York

Entry: Gold Coin Donation or $5 per person depending on host town

Media inquiries: Penny Townley, tel: (02) 6672 8373 or mobile 0414244710

MEDIA SPOKESPEOPLE: Juliet McFarlane, Grower tel: (02) 6282 2509, Scott

Kinnear tel: (0419) 881 729 or Julie Newman, Grower tel: (08) 9871 1562

Seeds of Doubt Tour - Tel: (02) 6672 8373 or Fax: (02) 6672 8018

For further information

Classification

Subject  GMO Issues
Regional relation  Australia
Audience  Activists - Government and Policy Makers - Commercial Farmers