Australia
May 10, 2007
The commercialisation of GM canola
in Australia is likely to have only negligible direct impacts on
the organic canola, livestock and honey industries according to
a new ABARE report.
The report,
Potential impacts from the introduction of GM canola on organic
farming in Australia, was released today by Phillip Glyde,
Executive Director of ABARE.
The report investigates the potential economic impacts of the
commercialisation of GM canola in Australia on domestic organic
agriculture, and looks into the treatment of GMOs in organic
certification standards in Australia and in Australia’s main
organic trade partners.
Certified organic agriculture has grown rapidly in recent years,
but remains a small market providing food to those who want to
avoid potential chemical residues and GM material.
‘Australian organic standards tend to be more stringent than
those in our export markets. Therefore, Australian certified
organic products are likely to continue to be accepted in export
markets if GM canola is introduced in Australia. However, the
stringent domestic requirements may reduce Australia’s price
competitiveness,’ Mr Glyde said.
‘The organic standards require that crops be isolated from
non-organic crops and products, including both conventional and
GM canola. Planting GM canola in place of conventional canola
would therefore have minimal impact on organic canola,’ Mr Glyde
noted.
‘The impact on organic honey is likely to be minimal for the
same reason — current standards require that bees do not forage
on conventional crops.’
The organic livestock industry was found to use a range of
organic feedstuffs, and the lack of organic canola crushing in
Australia over the past few years suggests that organic canola
meal is not an important component of organic livestock feed
rations.
‘The introduction of GM canola would therefore appear to have
minimal impact on the organic livestock industry,’ Mr Glyde
explained.
However, Mr Glyde cautioned that the introduction of GM
varieties of other crops that are more extensively grown in
Australia as certified organic may have a different impact.
In releasing the report, Mr Glyde acknowledged funding under the
Australian Government’s National Biotechnology Strategy. |
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