GM and Conventional Crops can Co-exist Says Australian Agric Minister

A new report saying that GM crops can be safely grown and marketed alongside conventional crops in Australia was released by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Peter McGauran. The report, A National Market Access Framework for GM Canola and Future GM Crops, looks at key supply chain issues that will need to be carefully managed to allow GM crops to co-exist with conventional crops.

Key points of the report include:

• Growers want confidence that the market will support them if they adopt GM crops
• Customers want confidence in the integrity of the supply chain
• Governments, industry, customers and the community want confidence that market choice can be maintained.

 “Australian farmers should be able to grow GM crops parallel with conventional crops,” Mr McGauran said. “State moratoriums on the production of GM crops prevent the release of licensed GM canola. If these bans are not lifted, farmers will be denied the opportunity to grow crops that will increase their international competitiveness”.

He concluded that GM crops must first be licensed by the Gene Technology Regulator before they can be grown in Australia to guarantee they are safe for both human health and the environment.

Read the press release at http://www.maff.gov.au/releases/07/07122pm.html or  the complete report at http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/370021/gmcanola_pathway_to_market.pdf