GM FREE ZONE

“If we are to get GE canola in our food supply, it should be labelled. If it is not labelled, we should ask why.”
Rosemary Stanton, Nutritionist and True Food Network member.

At Angelica Organic Farm we adamantly oppose genetically modified (GM) food. Genetic engineering (GE) undermines traditional and organic farming and threatens the security of the food chain for all of us.

It is our opinion that the Precautionary Principle needs to be rigorously applied in regards to GM agriculture. The Precautionary Principle states, ‘when an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically’ (Wingspread, Johnson Foundation, Jan.1998). As it stands, the risks are as yet not fully assessed by the scientists and therefore potentially harbour unknown but real environmental and health hazards. Yet, GM seed has already been released into the environment and cannot be quarantined, that is non-GM crops can’t be protected from cross-pollination with GM crops. On November 27 2007, NSW and Victorian governments decided not to extend moratoriums on growing GM canola, which have been in place for four years and expired in February 2008. However, it is not too late for concerned citizens to take action towards reinstating a moratorium against the further release of GM crops and thereby preventing the increase of their impact on our food chain.

We strongly admonish GM on ethical and financial grounds and find it abhorrent that a few multinational companies should be allowed to control seed banks for the financial benefit of stakeholders to the known detriment of food production worldwide.

Further more it is appalling that labelling of GM food in Australia is currently extremely limited, and exempted are some of the most basic and universally used refined ingredients such as oils, foods from animals fed GM feed, and up to 1% unintentional contamination.

The federal government has backed down on its pre-election promises. Labour’s GM crops policy stated ‘safe and beneficial standards must be established beyond reasonable doubt and standards must be met to the satisfaction of the government, the scientific community, the consumer community and the farming community’. However, no objective standards have been set and the determination of federal and state governments to promote GE agriculture is at odds with the prevailing views of Australian consumers, farmers and many reputable scientists who are not GM stakeholders:

A recent Cole’s survey found 90% of people will avoid eating GM food if given the choice.
Recent polls show 72.4% of Australian farmers do not want to grow GE grain crops (Farm Poll – http://nqr.farmonline.com.au).
Goodman Fielder, the biggest end user of canola in Australia does not want GE in its food supply chain. Goodman Fielder owns brands including Meadow Lea, Praise, White Wings and Helga’s. They stated, “in a world of ever increasing globalisation, Australia’s current status as a GM-free producer gives the company an essential international competitive advantage.”
Over 250 Australian companies have spoken out against GE crops including Australia’s biggest lamb exporter, Tatiara meats and Coles. (Coyne, B. 2008 for www.foe.org.au)
Dr Maarten Stapper, a farming systems agronomist from BioLogic AgFood and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, who spent 24 years working for the CSIRO says this: “GM is not the solution to problems in agriculture. GM moratoria need to be extended until long-term generational studies become part of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator’s regulations for approval. GM is a commercial venture needing markets in the shortest possible time. Federal regulators and research organizations seem willing partners. GM is a short-term solution with long-term costs. Who benefits? Who pays? Consumers need to be aware. …A major concern with GM developments is the loss of independence in food production as a few multinationals will control the seed-chemical-fertiliser supply chain and its regulation. There is no independent science possible on GM crops as companies don’t supply seed for such studies, they see results first to prevent negatives becoming public. Hence experiments are designed to get the answers wanted.”

"The checks on the safety of laying out those genes into weeds with similar genetic structures has not been done here at all. In fact, the level of safety checking in all these areas is about as good as that done before cane toads and rabbits were introduced into the country.”
Prof. Adrian Gibbs. Australian Academy of Science Fellow

For more information on GM Food, the associated issues and how you can have your say, please go to the following websites:

Union of Concerned Scientists - An independent alliance of more than 250,000 citizens and scientists.
Gene Ethics
True Food Network
Network Of Concerned Farmers
MADGE: Mothers Are Demystifying Genetic Engineering
BioLogic AgFood
Seed Savers Network

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GM Free Zone