A series of community meetings is being held across South Australia as part of a review into the Genetically Modified (GM) Crops Management Act. Under the Act, which is due to expire in April next year, GM food crops cannot be cultivated anywhere in SA unless an exemption is granted. The executive officer of the GM Crop Advisory Committee, John Cornish, says the meetings will provide a chance to discuss some of the options for GM food crop production after April.

The NSW Farmers’ Association says farmers’ ability to choose whether they should access Genetically Modified technology convinced delegates to reinforce its policy in support of the removal of the current moratorium at Annual Conference today. President of the NSW Farmers’ Association Jock Laurie says the Government’s appointment of an independent panel to review the states Genetically Modified (GM) moratorium is a step in the right direction.

It is indeed unfortunate that while many of our overseas competitors have options for working smarter in some areas, we are restricted. The Victorian Government’s GM moratorium is holding our industry back. As farmers, we want choice. As an organisation, we want choice – coexistence.

A bill recently pushed through federal parliament has the potential to threaten state moratoriums on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by granting new powers to the federal agriculture minister, a WA anti-GMO activist told Green Left Weekly. Say No to GMO campaigner Janet Grogan is worried the Gene Technology Amendment (GTA) bill will be used to bypass state regulations and community consultation to introduce unwanted GM crops.

Public support for genetically modified food crops rose dramatically to 73 per cent in 2007, up from 46 per cent in 2005, due to perceptions about the role they can play in countering drought and pollution. Australian Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, said a Biotechnology Australia report, released today, found a major change in public attitudes towards biotechnology in all areas. ”When asked if GM crops should be grown in their state, 50 per cent of respondents from all states said Yes, with a further 30 per cent approving as long as they were strongly regulated,” Mr Macfarlane said.

Research on using funnel-web spider toxins in insecticides, which former University of Southern Queensland (USQ) staff member Ron Atkinson was involved in, is now being considered commercially in the USA for pest control in crops. The research, which began in 1989, involves adding the gene for a funnel-web toxin, which is potent against insects, to the genetic makeup of crop plants such as cotton. Dr Atkinson said this allows the plants to have an in-built defence against pests, and does not require chemical sprays.

A review of the Genetically Modified Crops Management Act 2004 has started. [...] ”Several years ago, community groups on Kangaroo Island and Eyre Peninsula were keen to establish GM crop free areas for marketing purposes,” [the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Rory McEwen] said. ”It would be good to know whether they are still keen to pursue this option or not, or whether new issues have arisen.”

A campaign to make Rodney the first official ’genetic engineering free’ district is underway. Rodney is already branded ’organic friendly’. Moves to ban genetically modified organisms or GMOs, in the district plan have come from eastern ward councillor Colin MacGillivray.

He wants Rodney to lead the country in rejecting genetically engineered crops.

Agriculture Minister Kim Chance has raised the prospect of ending the State Government’s moratorium on genetically modified cotton, promising the controversial policy will be clarified before new expressions of interest are called for the long-awaited expansion of the Ord River irrigation scheme. The Government’s opposition to GM cotton is part of a moratorium that bans all GM crops and is not due to be reviewed until the end of next year. But the policy has been criticised by agriculture experts, who say GM cotton is more profitable than sugar, uses far less water and is integral to the expansion of the Ord.

Australia’s export wheat marketer, AWB, has lent cautious support to the genetically modified (GM) wheat trials being conducted in Victoria. [...] He said the company was supportive of:

- Plans to keep GM and non-GM products separate.

- Need to ensure there is no contamination that could endanger any markets.

- Need to supply non-GM customers with non-GM wheat, even if GM wheat was grown commercially.