Parliamentary Secretary to the
Australian Minister for
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Sussan Ley, has
launched a new publication which will become a key reference for
farmers in the debate over genetically modified (GM) crops in
Australia.
Ms Ley launched the
Grains Research and Development
Corporation (GRDC) booklet FUTUREcrop — Biotechnology and
the Grains Industry at the Agriculture Australia 2007
conference held in Melbourne today.
"This booklet is particularly
topical as a number of states are currently reviewing their
moratoriums on the commercial production of GM crops," she said.
"Gene technology is the future of
Australia’s grains industry. The potential to speed up and focus
the breeding of better crops that are accepted by the market is
enormous."
FUTUREcrop
explains recent advances in biotechnology and
plant breeding and examines the debate over GM crops in
Australia.
Ms Ley said the publication would
become a valuable resource not only for the grains industry, but
for anyone with an interest in biotechnology and agriculture.
"The snapshot of the arguments
that have defined the debate over the development of GM food
crops helps put things in perspective," she said.
"Industry and consumers have so
much to gain once farmers are free to choose whether to grow GM
crops.
"The potential of GM crops is
being increasingly recognised as people become more familiar
with the technology. But not all gene technology results in GM
crops—these technologies can also be used to improve the
breeding of conventional crops.
"Biotechnology is contributing to
a more sustainable and profitable agrifood sector and Australia
must not be allowed to fall behind in the application of these
technologies."
FUTUREcrop
will be sent to grain growers throughout
Australia with the next edition of the GRDC’s Ground Cover
magazine.
FUTUREcrop
can be downloaded from the GRDC
website at
www.grdc.com.au/director/events/grdcpublications
