2007-05-16 | permalink

Farmers outraged at Victorian contamination plan

The Network of Concerned Farmers was outraged today at news that the Victorian State Government plans to lift the moratorium on genetically modified crops. The key issue of concern for the NCF is the unfair costs and liabilities that will be imposed on non-GM farmers due to the problems associated with segregating GM from non-GM crops in order to supply markets that are GM sensitive. [...] ”The beneficiaries of GM crops are the patent holders, the GM companies, the seed industry, the research sector and the governments who are encouraging corporate investment into research and development and planning to cash in on the technology patents they currently own,” explained Mrs Newman. ”If politicians want Australian farmers to follow in the footsteps of US and Canadian farmers who have faced additional costs, intimidating contracts and plummeting market acceptance of GM food crops, they should also be prepared to match the massive subsidies given to growers of GM food crops.”

• Network of Concerned Farmers, Australia: Farmers outraged at Victorian contamination plan
• Conservation Council of West Australia: Sustainable agriculture in a changing climate - Genetically modified (GM) foods
• Organic Growers Association of Western Australia: Genetically modified organisms