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AUS – FEAR MONGERING LACKS CREDIBILITY
24 March 2008 Source: The Pastoralists & Graziers Association of WA (Inc)
Source: http://www.pgaofwa.org.au/
GM fear mongering lacks credibility – PGA
The renewed attack on GM crops by Agriculture Minister Chance again reveals a lack of balance and foresight in the debate, according to PGA Western Graingrower’s Chairman Leon Bradley.
Minister Chance’s latest media release talks of ‘independent research’ in France that finds “significant reductions in growth and adverse effects on liver and kidney function after 90 days of consumption”.
However, he fails to mention a couple of important facts:
- The ‘independent’ study was funded by Greenpeace, who have an avowed policy of
opposition to almost all biotechnology in agriculture.
- The study showed significant variations. For example, while the male subjects showed
‘significant’ reductions in growth of 3.3%, the females showed an increase of 3.7%.
- A diet of pure corn – GM or not – when fed to rats for three months is likely to have
toxicological effects.
“Mr Chance appears to have a phobia about GM food, and will say and do anything to discredit the technology,” Mr Bradley said.
“This ‘science’ will join others in a long line of bogus trials funded by the opponents of GM technology.”
“By raising the health issue, Minister Chance is rejecting the expertise of the Federal regulator (Office of the Gene Technology Regulator) which only approves GM crops for planting which are considered safe for human health and the environment. It is a matter of fact that trillions of GM meals have been consumed without the reporting of a single verifiable adverse outcome.”
“In fact, cotton-seed oil derived from GM crops is consumed by million of Australians everyday without incident.”
“In fostering unsubstantiated claims about the adverse health effects of the most heavily regulated and tested food in history, Minister Chance is simply creating a smokescreen to hide the devastating impact his prohibition is having on the potential of WA agriculture.
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