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Australia’s GM experience positive
Territory News
27/04/05
Contrary to the doom and gloom presented by June Tapp ‘Butterflies and GM’ (22/04/05), the Australian experience with genetically modified (GM) crops over the past nine years has been very positive.
CSIRO introduced insect-resistant GM cotton into Australia in 1996. The use of these varieties allowed growers to halve their use of pesticides over the following years. A second insect resistant GM variety has recently been introduced, and CSIRO researchers predict it will allow pesticide reductions of up to 75 per cent each season. This has been a positive outcome not only for the environment but also for the cotton-growing communities. Eighty per cent of the cotton grown in Australia is now comprised of GM varieties.
Australia’s gene technology regulations are amongst the most stringent in the world, and a key part of the regulatory process involves community consultation. Three main consultative avenues are available to interested members of the public – a mailing list and toll free number, a committee responsible for feeding community concerns into the regulatory process, and council notification of potential field trials in their local government area.
Finally, the process to develop a GM product does not occur overnight. It takes on average, eight to 13 years from concept to commercialisation, not withstanding state legislative hurdles. This process has numerous checks and balances in place, and as one of the most scrutinised technologies in the world today, individuals can be reassured that Australia is taking a cautious approach to introducing such crops into our farming systems.
Paula Fitzgerald
Executive Director
Agrifood Awareness Australia Limited
Canberra
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