July 7, 2002

It is a small book, but with a long title – "Genetically Modified Grains: Market Implications for Australian Graingrowers".

Released late last year, following a study by the independent organisation, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), it fills a long-standing information gap, while cutting through a lot of the verbiage which seems to accompany discussions on genetically modified (GM) crops.

Its contents are particularly relevant today, given the current debate on the application by Monsanto to release a Roundup Ready canola variety for commercial production in Australia. ABARE’s study, which was supported by graingrowers and the Federal Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation, ‘cuts to the chase’ of the debate by identifying possible consequences for Australia’s farmers and the general community of growing GM crops and not growing them.

Importantly, it provides insights into what our competitors on the grain markets of the world are doing and why, and consumer attitudes towards GM products. It also examines agronomic and environmental issues and the realities of the marketplace.

One of the many salient observations made is that, while Australia has a significant capability in the area of gene technology with grain crops, it has tended to lag behind three of its main competitors in world agricultural markets – the US, Argentina and Canada. On the research side, the GRDC is addressing this perceived lag behind our export competitors by committing significant resources to projects investigating techniques and processes in the use of gene technology for plant breeding.

Not to do so would be to risk widening the research gap which ABARE’s study identifies, to weaken the future viability prospects of our graingrower stakeholders and to ignore the health and environmental benefits, such as a large reduction in the amount of crop protection chemicals used, which these technologies have the potential to offer.

In essence, the GRDC takes the view that it needs to invest now in basic and applied gene technology research in order that Australian graingrowers can remain internationally competitive and be prepared for future changes in world trade and consumer demands.

"Genetically Modified Grains" was written by ABARE’s Dr Max Foster and is available for $40. Copies can be ordered on Freecall 1 800 11 00 44.