[Pil-pc-oceania] GM News (courtesy of Genethics)

[Deb Guildner]

Gene Ethics: GM-free News
October 10, 2007


1. Jeffrey Smith's 2 week National Tour - begins on Monday!!
2. Pat Mooney - International anti-Terminator specialist in Melbourne
3. Tell your MPs: 'extend the GM crop bans'!!
4. Kim Chance Backs Goodman Fielder's call to extend GM bans
5. Japanese Delegation Tour of Australia in support of GM-free
6. Kangaroo Island, SA, wins Japanese GM-free canola contract


1. Acclaimed author Jeffrey Smith - National Tour to Launch his new book 
"Genetic Roulette"


You are cordially invited to hear the international best-selling author 
Jeffrey Smith during a national speaking tour, to discuss the documented 
health risks of Genetically Engineered foods.


Gene Ethics has published the Australian edition of his book: Genetic 
Roulette, which retails for $28.95. It will be available at the meetings for 
$25 or can be ordered for $35 including P&P from: CleanFood Organic T: (02) 
9664 6670 or email: <malcolm at cleanfood.com.au>


Mr Smith shows how the world's most powerful Gene Manipulation companies 
bluffed the US Congress, the Food and Drug Administration and critics. 
Insider documents show how we are misled on safety research into everyday 
foods. The sixty-five health risks of eating GM foods are presented in 
easy-to-read two-page spreads.


Jeffrey's public meetings are:  Perth, WA:      Monday 12 November
                        Adelaide, SA:   Wednesday 14 November
                        Hobart, Tas:    Thursday 15 November
                        Melbourne Vic:  Monday 19 November
                        Sydney, NSW:    Thursday 22 November


For further details, please visit the calendar at: 
http://www.geneethics.org/index.php


2. International anti-Terminator specialist in Melbourne


Pat Mooney, who heads the ETC Group, will visit Melbourne next week.
The ETC group blew the whistle on Terminator (seed sterilisation) technology 
and also takes a leading role in researching and publicising the hazards of 
many new technologies. Visit the ETC Group website at: 
http://www.etcgroup.org/en/issues/terminator_traitor.html


Meet and hear Pat Mooney


        Date:   Thursday November 15, 6 - 7.30pm
        Venue:  Ground Floor, 60L Building, 60 Leicester St, Carlton


More Information: Gene Ethics 1300 133868


3. Tell your MPs: 'extend the GM crop bans'


Keep Australia GM-free!! The Agriculture Ministers of New South Wales, 
Victoria and South Australia may soon decide our GM future. Yet the 
Ministers will not even:


  a.. publish the reports of their GM crop ban reviews;
  b.. respect shoppers and farmers who want GM-free crops and foods;
  c.. negotiate with the Tasmanian and WA governments that support the GM 
bans;
  d.. heed scientific warnings that some GM foods are not safe to eat;
  e.. take seriously the threats of herbicide tolerant weeds and chemical 
pollution; or
  f.. admit Australia's reputation as a producer of clean, green foods for 
export will end.
To easily and quickly tell your MP that you want a GM-free future (also 
support for the WA and Tasmanian governments) visit one or all of the 
following:


Gene Ethics:                       http://geneethics.org/actnow/display/2
Mothers Against Genetic Engineering:  http://www.madge.org.au/support.php
Greenpeace: 
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/take-action/online/genetic-engineering/help-keep-australia-ge-free%20

4.  Kim Chance backs Goodman Fielder's call to keep GM bans
     Friday, 9 November 2007


Western Australian Agriculture Minister Kim Chance has welcomed calls from 
Australia's largest food manufacturer, Goodman Fielder, to maintain the 
moratoria on the growing of genetically modified crops. The company has 
written to all State Premiers and Agriculture Ministers urging a 
continuation of the GM moratorium.

In support of his case Goodman Fielder chief executive officer, Peter 
Margin, has argued: "there is increasing consumer uncertainty about the 
long-term effects of eating GM food; there is consumer preference for foods 
that are not genetically modified; Australia currently has an competitive 
advantage for its GM-free status; and there is continuing uncertainty about 
the performance of GM crops in Australian conditions.


Mr Chance said that Goodman Fielder had shown that it was in touch with 
Australian consumers and primary producers by calling for the retention of 
the moratorium. He cited an annual survey undertaken by Swinburne University 
showing consumers remain uncertain about GM foods.

"According to the survey, only 30pc of Australians were comfortable with GM 
plants for food, while only 19pc reported some level of comfort with GM 
animals for food," he said.

SOURCE: FarmWeekly

5. Japanese Delegation Tours Australia in support of GM-free


A delegation from the Japanese NO! GMO Campaign, an alliance of more than 80 
Japanese consumer and farmers groups visited Australia. They delivered a 
petition to state Premiers, asking them to extend the bans on GM food crops. 
The petition was signed by 155 Japanese consumer groups, consumer 
co-operatives, labour organisations and cooking oil producers whose 
membership represents 2.9 million Japanese who buy our GM-free foods. The 
delegation presented statistics showing over 80 percent of Japanese shoppers 
are anxious about GM foods.


Greens MLC Ian Cohen questioned Agriculture Minister McDonald in the NSW 
parliament and embarrassed him into accepting the petition that he had 
earlier refused. In Victoria, the delegation met the management of the 
HakuBaku Japanese Organic Noodle factory in Ballarat who will raise their 
concerns with the government over threats to their business. Agriculture 
Minister Helper declined to meet them at his office in rural Maryborough, 
but they met senior officials of the Department of Primary Industries. The 
dairy Industry blankly refused to meet, despite large Japanese imports of 
Australian dairy products. The delegates presented their petition to the 
Speaker of the South Australian Parliament and met the Grains Section of the 
South Australian Farmers' Federation. In Western Australia they met 
Agriculture Minister  Kim Chance and representatives of the West Australian 
Farmers' Federation.


Media coverage of this self-initiated and self-funded tour was good and you 
can receive the clippings by emailing: info at geneethics.org


6. Kangaroo Island, South Australia Wins Japanese Canola Contract


Wednesday, 31/10/2007    www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2007/s2077259.htm

A Japanese company has contracted to buy all the canola harvested on 
Kangaroo Island, South Australia, this season. Other orders are likely to 
follow. Kangaroo Island was singled out as it may be able to stay GM-free 
even if GM canola is grown elsewhere. Six thousand tonnes of canola will be 
initially exported for the Japanese cooking oil market.