GM proposal stirs reaction

Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon raised the inquiry option recently, pending the outcome of a landmark legal case in the Western Australian Supreme Court between organic farmer Steve Marsh and his GM canola growing neighbours, Mick and Zanthe Baxter.

The controversial legal case is due to commence on February 10 next year and is focused on Mr Marsh’s claims for financial losses incurred from losing his organic certification, after his farm was allegedly contaminated by GM canola in 2010.

Senator Xenophon and Safe Food Foundation director Scott Kinnear held a media conference in Canberra recently to address questions regarding the proposed inquiry.

Senator Xenophon said the inquiry could address unanswered questions regarding the effectiveness of current laws governing GM production and who paid compensation for any future GM “contamination”.

He said farmers who wanted to remain GM-free should not have to take court action and risk their homes and family farms to fight for that right.

“I think this is something that will pique the interest of all MPs,” he said.

“This is a big national issue and our gene technology regulatory framework is, I think, woefully inadequate.

“At the moment unless you’ve got incredibly deep pockets, or you have a massive community campaign behind you, you just simply can’t afford to go to court.

“There’s no real access to justice for our farmers, if their crops are contaminated.”

The Foundation also launched a campaign and new website last week, calling for donations to raise funds supporting the organic farmer’s case.

Mr Kinnear said Slater and Gordon lawyers were taking on the landmark case pro bono for Mr Marsh and his group’s new fund raising venture would cover other associated costs.

He said it had already cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the case to trial which was attracting global media interest.

“There’s no organic farmer anywhere in the world who has litigated against a GM farmer because he has suffered loss and damage,” he said.

Mr Kinnear said when the Gene Technology Act was launched, governments made a mistake by subjecting disputes to resolution under common law.

“It’s going to cost millions of dollars for both sides to fight this three week fight in court in WA,” he said.

“Steve (Marsh) and his neighbour are both going to be losers out of this; it’s affected their lives, it’s affected their finances and one of them is going to come out a hell of a lot worse off - and that really bothers me.”

Federal Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said if a Senate inquiry into GM foods was held, he’d encourage everyone with an interest in the issue to make a submission.

But Mr Joyce said Australia already had one of the world’s strongest regulatory regimes for the approval of GM crops and food products.

He said it should also be recognised that agricultural biotechnology has “already brought huge benefits to Australian farmers”.

“Australian cotton farmers, for example, have been growing GM cotton varieties since 1996, and in 2010 almost the entire national crop was devoted to GM varieties,” he said.

“This technology has brought not only increased profits but environmental benefits, allowing cotton farmers to decrease their insecticide use by as much as 85 per cent.”

NSW Nationals Senator John Williams said any support for the GM senate inquiry would need to be discussed by the party before stating any support.

Senator Williams said there’s been “huge progress” over the years modifying plants to achieve traits like rust resistant wheat but contamination of individual properties was a problem, even for traditional canola growers.

“The cotton industry has benefited by reducing chemical spraying with GM, but we must be careful if they progress this to see that human health is protected and those not wishing to grow GM must be protected,” he said.

CropLife Australia CEO Matthew Cossey said the plant science industry welcomed a “genuine” inquiry in GM regulations.

“Such an inquiry, if genuine in its nature, would affirm public confidence in the regulatory system and provide an opportunity for the official record to reflect the significant agronomic and environmental benefits GM cotton and canola have brought to Australian farmers,” he said.

“The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) assesses each and every human health and environmental risk that may be posed by a new GM crop before it can be licensed and commercially grown in Australia.

“To date, all GM crops that have been approved for commercial release in Australia have been deemed as safe as their conventional counterparts.”

Mr Cossey said instead of seeking to escalate conflict between farmers, “it would be far more productive if Senator Xenophon examined the regulatory system at the heart of this entirely unnecessary conflict”.

“This is the first case of its kind and it is taking place in Australia for a reason,” he said.

“Australia’s organic standards are out of step with those in the European Union and the rest of the world.

“While we welcome an open and transparent inquiry into the impacts of this important agricultural technology, the scaremongering tactics aiming to escalate conflict between farmers are entirely unhelpful and should not be tolerated.”