Environmental Concerns Boost Australian Support for GM Foods

Biotechnology Australia, a government agency tasked with managing the National Biotechnology Strategy and with coordinating non-regulatory biotechnology issues, has released a survey showing that the Australian public support for genetically modified (GM) food crops has increased from 46 per cent in 2005 to 73 per cent in 2007. This positive perception is attributed mainly to the role that GM foods play in countering drought and pollution.

Respondents in the study placed the highest values on the following biotechnology applications:

• cleaning up pollution (97 per cent support);
• developing environmentally-friendly vehicle fuels (97 per cent);
• recycling water more effectively (96 per cent);
• helping address climate change (91 per cent); and
• combating salinity (90 per cent).