[Pil-pc-oceania] GM food submissions due NOW

[Deb Guildner]

Please send out to your networks


  SA reviews GM Food Crops ban


You can make a difference and help keep South Australia GM-free!!


Please write a letter to the review panel by 31 August 2007!! Form letters will have less influence so please use your own words! Give the panel reasons to extend the GM canola ban until 2013.


Include any evidence you have, as well as your own views. Give references where possible.


Terms of Reference for the SA review:

  a.. The purpose of the Act and whether there are alternative ways to prevent adverse market outcomes; 
  b.. The operations of the Act; and 
  c.. The regulation that prohibits the cultivation of GM food crops in SA


The inquiry says it will not consider human health and safety and the environment. (However, Gene Ethics considers the cost, trade and market impacts of health and the environment can be included)


Submissions by 17 August 2007:


  Executive Officer
  GM Crop Advisory Committee
  T: 08 8207 2361 or E: gmcropsactreview at saugov.sa.gov.au
  See: http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/gmc/news


  Please also Cc your letter to:


  Premier Mike Rann
  GPO Box 2343
  Adelaide 5000


Some ideas for your submission:


1. The economic impacts of the bans on commercial gene manipulated (GM) canola were very positive. Australia's GM-free food supply meant:


  a.. premiums of up to A$120/tonne for GM-free canola abroad (ABARE, 2007); 
  b.. no chronic GM contamination problems in export shipments; 
  c.. no added segregation, identity preservation or shipping costs needed for GM canola; 
  d.. competitive advantage in global canola markets as the only GM-free canola trader; 
  e.. high shopper confidence in the quality of our food supply; 
  f.. we saw that most GM crops are stalled eg: the area of GM canola globally stalled in 1999 (ISAAA, 2007).


2. If the GM canola ban expires we would have the higher costs of:


  a.. testing, identity preservation, segregation, handling, rejected shipments, some lost markets and lower confidence in Australia's clean, green, GM-free reputation for all foods; 
  b.. herbicide tolerant weeds (wild radish, turnip, charlock, ryegrass and barnyard grass) by outcrossing, from Roundup and Basta tolerant GM canola and from repeated use of these chemicals. Weed costs are borne by everyone - local councils, parks authorities, landcare groups, farmers, gardeners, etc. 
  c.. more pathogens in GM canola that need more spraying; 
  d.. farmers and shoppers would pay Bayer and Monsanto (EU, 2006); 
  e.. more monopoly ownership and control of chemicals and seeds; 
  f.. ensuring organic, biodynamic and conventional foods labelled GM-free were still available.


3. Extending the commercial GM canola ban would mean Australia could:


  a.. continue to sell all foods into any market, often at premium prices; 
  b.. keep its competitive advantage over GM growers in North and South America. They often sell grain for animal feed and ethanol, not direct human consumption, for which they suffer a price penalty; 
  c.. continue to develop GM-free conventional and organic foods.


4. The moratorium on commercial GM canola should be extended until 2013, at least, because:


  a.. no other GM crops being researched could be available in the next five years. Promises of healthier foods, drought and salt tolerant crops, longer shelf life food, etc. are just hopeful promises (Glover 2005, in Corish 2005). 
  b.. over 80% of the world's canola production, in 20 countries, is GM-free. Only Canada and the USA grow GM herbicide tolerant canola and production has not increased since 1999; 
  c.. only three countries sold canola in world markets in 2006 - Canada 70%; USA 11%; Australia 19%. Australia is the only GM-free seller so we accessed all markets and got premiums of up to A$120 (ABARE) over the past two years. We should keep our competitive advantage; 
  d.. an EU economic report shows Bayer and Monsanto benefit most from GM crops and foods. Food is not any cheaper!

An RIRDC report on GM canola by Anderson and Jackson says:


"Hence net economic welfare for Australia would be US$28 million per year higher as a result of GM adoption, less any negative value domestic consumers place on not knowing if they may be consuming GM products. With the EU moratorium, the net economic welfare benefit to Australian producers and consumers of GM adoption in this case is estimated to be US$15 million per year. While that is $13 million less than if there is no EU moratorium, it still represents a net gain from joining the adopters of GM varieties of these four crops even if the EU moratorium remains in place. However, the average Australian farm household income would decrease with GM adoption - even with rice and wheat included - if the EU moratorium remains. ... Even then, several States of Australia have continued to delay approval because they perceive insufficient economic benefit from GM crops to warrant the cost of the necessary co-existence system (which will fall more on non-GM producers, the smaller the share of GM varieties in total output) and the expected loss that would result from a downgrading of their status as a 'clean, green, safe food' supplier domestically and abroad."


Please Cc your letter to the review panels and the Premiers in other states:


Victorian review of GM canola ban
Submissions by 17 August 2007


  GM Canola Review Panel Secretariat
  Department of Primary Industries
  Level 19, 1 Spring Street
  GPO Box 4440
  Melbourne VIC 3001
  T: (03) 9658 4872
  F: (03) 9658 4472
  E: GMcanola.Review at dpi.vic.gov.au
  See: http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfa.nsf/LinkView/5477226A88881F86CA2572E300074EEF89E6C67B468BD2A7CA256FB70001BAB8


  Please also Cc your letter to:


  Premier John Brumby
  1 Treasury Place
  Melbourne 3000


Tasmanian Review of GM Crops Act
Contact:


  Clerk of Committees
  Legislative Council
  Parliament House
  Hobart Tas 7000
  T: (03) 6233 6602
  F: (03) 6231 1849
  E:sue.mcleod at parliament.tas.gov.au
  http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/ctee/genetech.htm


  Please also Cc your letter to:


  David Llewellyn
  Minister for Primary industries
  Franklin Square Offices
  Hobart 7000


NSW Review:


  GM Crop Moratorium Review Secretariat
  NSW Department of Primary Industries
  Locked Bag 21
  ORANGE NSW 2800
  Telephone: 02 6763 1260
  Fax: 02 6391 3167
  Email: gmcrops.review at dpi.nsw.gov.au
  This paper is also available at: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/reviews/gmcrops


  Please also Cc your letter to:


  Premier Morris Iemma
  Level 40, Governor Macquarie Tower
  1 farrer Place
  Sydney 2000
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