WEEKLY WATCH number 233 (11/11/2007) | |
WEEKLY WATCH number 233 Dear all: Opposition to GM crops is hardening in Europe (EUROPE). Meanwhile, Canadian research puts paid to the old industry lie that if transgenes escaped into the wild, they almost certainly wouldn't persist (NEW RESEARCH). And Australia's largest food maufacturer is pitching in against a corporate political fix in States like Victoria - a fix intended to exclude not just Australia's farmers and consumers from having a say on the future of their food and farming but that even bypasses Government-supporting Members of Parliament. Now that's what I call a mandate. (AUSTRALASIA) Claire [email protected] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUSTRALASIA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- + BRUMBY'S FIX RUMBLED According to reports in The Age, people are also incensed that the Premier had allowed his parliamentary secretary to lead the pro-GM push within the party. Questions have also been raised about the independence of the head of the 'independent panel' - Sir Gus - appointed by the Government to consider lifting the ban. Sir Gus had previously expressed his support for getting rid of the ban, saying it amounted to 'crass populism' and he considered it 'bad politics'. Recent surveys show most farmers and consumers in Australia are unhappy with GM crops. + AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST FOOD MANUFACTURER BACKS GM MORATORIUM + WHERE'S THE EVIDENCE OF GM BENEFITS FOR AUSTRALIA? Now Chance has called for independent performance trials before any recommendation of GM crops to Western Australian farmers. Said Chance, 'There is no firm evidence, from the limited Australian trials, of increased yields from using GM canola varieties.' The Roush report also claims that Canada's farmers are reaping massive benefits from GM canola. But this hardly tallies with the falling net farm income, rising debt and increasing dependence on off-farm income and massive subsidies being experienced by Canadian farmers. + AUSTRALIAN FARMERS CALL FOR GM PERFORMANCE TRIALS 'Positive economic reports have been based on misleading information of advantages that are not offered and costs that are not included,' said Julie Newman, WA farmer and NCF national spokesperson. Farmers are not being offered any GM variety better than the non-GM varieties we already have, yet we are being promised a range of misleading promises.' NCF points out that both New South Wales and Western Australia offered to allow plantings of GM canola in independent performance trials which would establish if a yield advantage is offered but GM companies refused to participate. Jeremy Tager adds that Bayer backed out of the trials after the Agriculture Minister of New South Wales insisted that they would be comparative, independent and that all results would be publicly released. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |