GM BAN TO BE LIFTED: NSW
The lobby behind the spread of genetically-modified (GM) techniques is once again gaining momentum in Australia, continuing their influence on agriculture and farming.
It has been announced that New South Wales will become the next state to lift their moratorium on GM crops across the state, ending an 18 year ban in July.
Adam Marshall, current Agriculture Minister, said the move was expected to deliver a multi-billion-dollar boost to primary industry.
“The potential agronomic and health benefits of future GM crops include everything from drought and disease resistance, to more efficient uptake of soil nutrients, increased yield and better weed control,” Marshall said on Tuesday.
The NSW government forecasts GM technology could see farmers boost production by almost 10 per cent and save them up to 35 per cent on overheads. They are hoping they will embrace the changes with open arms.
“This is also great news for consumers as by lifting the ban we are empowering companies to invest in GM technology that has the potential to remove allergens such as gluten, improve taste and deliver enhanced nutrition,” he said.
Genetically modified canola, cotton and safflower – grown for its oil – has been grown in NSW since 2008 under an exemption allowed for those three crops.
Now, the lid will be completely lifted on all kinds of GM crops across the state.
The NSW Farmers Association welcomed the decision, provided producers had a choice and any genetically modified organism was approved by an independent, science-based Australian regulator.
It says farmers who want to cultivate GM crops should have the opportunity to make ‘informed choices’ about what to sow.
“For farmers, it’s all about the right to choose,” NSW Farmers President James Jackson said.
“We do have confidence in the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator as an independent science based regulator that will balance the risks and benefits of different GM crops.”
Troubling to see the farmers representative group is on board with this plan, despite many concerns about GM crops and practices across the world.
It seems it is yet again up to the voices of the few to fight back against this change.
GRASSROOTS BACKLASH
Not all are happy with this decision, including the organic farming community and other voices in the world of self-sustainable food production.
Representatives say regulators need to ensure there is no contamination from windblown seeds and pollen from genetically modified produce.
Tim Marshall, Chairman of the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia, which has a business certifying organic produce says “they simply don’t think that GM technology is necessary.“
“Organic farmers will now have the problem of contamination of their fields by windblown seed and pollen from GM crops that threatens their viability as organic farmers.”
In 2014, Western Australian organic farmer Steve Marsh lost his long-running and bitter legal action against his neighbour after claiming GM canola had drifted onto his Kojonup sheep, oats and rye farm.
Marshall is very concerned organic farmers will lose markets and they will have to pay for the wind breaks and lack of cropping boundaries that they need to protect their own crops.
“If [GM technology] is going to be used, there needs to be some protection for organic farmers.”
RELATED:
Ethan Nash’s open letter to
Julia Gillard about GM Wheat in Australia
NSW Greens MP Tamara Smith MP was also a lone voice in the political sphere, stating that ending the ban posed an unacceptable threat to ecosystems.
“The real problem with genetically modified crops is they allow a system in which just a few companies hold immense power over our food supply,” the member for Ballina told AAP.
“We should be focusing on increasing the resilience of our food crop. It’s very disappointing that the NSW government is focusing on industrial agriculture and GM crops instead of regenerative agriculture, which the rest of the world is moving towards.”
We still have very little understanding of the long term of impacts of genetically modified crops on the environment, and human and animal health.
Despite this, Australia has been incrementally breaking down the walls to unleash a new era of genetically modified, science-influenced food and crop.
A NATIONAL TREND
The NSW announcement means Tasmania will be the only state with a moratorium on growing GM crops, after South Australia also fell to the GM lobby last year.
Bob Phelps, Director of lobby group Gene Ethics Australia, said the plan to end the GM ban by amending regulations would betray the parliament and the people of South Australia.
The map below shows sites of licences granted by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator for genetically modified organism trials:
The normalisation of GM techniques has also now expanded beyond crops, with the Australian government deregulating CRISPR gene-editing methods and products at the end of 2019, in a move experts said threatened organic production.
The Gene Technology Amendment (2019 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2019 outlined the plans for the changes, removing requirements for the use of tools in which proteins cut DNA at a specific target site. As long as the tools allow the host cell to repair the “break naturally”.
Members and affiliates of Gene-Ethics Australia spoke on the threat these changes pose to the world stage, given Australia’s significant contribution of 51% of the world’s organic food produce.
Now, anything goes. Scientists using the “second generation” of genetic manipulation technology have used gene-editing to alter the DNA of breed of cattle to help improve ‘sustainability’ of the product in the future.
GM has come along way since the days of simply canola, cotton and safflower. Not only involving crops, but DNA alteration of animals and more.
Now is the most important time to support local farmers, buy organic produce and even take the step of becoming self-sufficient and disconnect from the food monopoly.
An international shift in supply chains is one of the most important elements of the New World Reset, and each of us have the power to vote with our pockets and our conscience.
Our farmers have been through enough and need our support to stop Agenda 2030.
RELATED CONTENT
NSW plans to lift ban on genetically modified crops | SBS News
NSW organic farmers call for more protection as state lifts ban on GM crops | The Guardian
South Australia to lift ban on GM crops
Australia to deregulate gene-editing techniques
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Yeah, because nothing really grows there lol
“The NSW Farmers Association welcomed the decision…” I bet they got seriuos funding(promises)
why is it so easy to get unelected & unknown wannabes who sit at the helm of made up orgasnisations that represent a handful of their mates with enough cash to promote their agendas to get their way with govts who have no idea about what their decisions entail? the real producers suffer the consequences of these stupid decisions which then affect the end consumer.
it’s not enough to poison us with untested vaxx’s, small businesses closing down, jobs being lost & our kids being brainwashed by the big bad virus to keep away from eachother & miss their childhood & friends, now we have to eat this crap as well.
how & why any of this is even discussed or debated after so much research, evidence & more evidence has proven over & over for years that gm is the worst thing anyone can consume (after vaxxs).
if a certain crop doesn’t grow in a certain area, maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t meant to grow at all? but why let logic & common sense get in the way of a good lobby payoff. what is the premier or her fed bro ScoMo getting for their betrayal of the very people that will be poisoned by these super crops?
big pharma & big ag can’t be stopped by just saying no to their products, bc they will find a way to make it compulsory/mandatory for farmers to buy & use only their certified seeds, chemicals & even methods of producing crops ie; whatever these big co’s tell the govt to certify & how.
so the independent farmer/grower will be at the mercy of these vampires whose products will eventually contaminate the clean crops by hook or by crook. yes literally, agents of said vampires go around spraying or depositing their poisons on non compliant farms/fields to purposely infect/contaminate the clean fields until all become gm whether they want to or not. then, the same vampires sue the clean farmers for using their patented seeds/chems/etc without license, pretty smart eh?
don’t believe me, look up indian farmers against macca’s case for potato rights where maccas sued farmers for growing its patented potato even though the farmers never used the maccas seeds & were growing their local potatoes from their own seeds but were contaminated by the gm crops from nearby fields planted by maccas. luckily, the farmers won the case & maccas shut up, for now.
i didn’t see any info on what will be legislated to ensure farmers are protected from contamination or will have any right of recourse should said contamination occur, but I bet the big ag co’s will have every legal tool to sue the farmers when (not if) the non-compliant farmers somehow grow the gm crops without knowing they were, then lose their farms bc of legal fees.
food standards aus/nz has some info on gm foods & labelling but with many exemptions or gray areas that could easily be exploited by anyone in many ways. eg; a fast food business does not have to label any gm foods they sell but the consumer can ask the seller if they use gm, the seller has to be honest when they answer, that’s it! gm feed given to farm animals does not need to be labelled in any meat that we buy either.
so the gm crop is back with a vengeance & we’ll be eating it sooner or later knowingly or most likely not. the great reset sure is going as planned, at least in Aus anyway.
peace
bob
“don’t believe me, look up indian farmers against macca’s case for potato rights where maccas sued farmers for growing its patented potato even though the farmers never used the maccas seeds & were growing their local potatoes from their own seeds but were contaminated by the gm crops from nearby fields planted by maccas. luckily, the farmers won the case & maccas shut up, for now.”
I did and couldn’t find a reference to this. Any links?
Yes, Bob, GMO is just another corporate land-grab. Take what belongs to everyone and no-one, claim it as their own, then sell it back to us in inferior form. GMO has never improved agriculture anywhere. It has only devastated it. The human cost has already been monstrous. You are quite right, who is asking for this? Not the consumer, not the producer. Just a bunch of wealthy corporate psychopaths who are incapable of just leaving us TF alone and who can’t help but try and fuck with everything good and natural. And their friends in low places, of course. Crime against humanity is not too strong a description.
Good on you Tasmania, you are not dumb like the many people who refuse to look or research
Of course GM crops aren’t a problem, now that after our Covid jabs we are now GM humans.
and the NEGATIVES is massive >>> Our Head “representative” yes the not so honorable (in my opinion PM Scomo keeps telling us “it is your choice” So WHY are Australians going to be force fed GM Sh….with NO CHOICE to say NO…… now than ever before buy or grow as much as you can ORGANIC! Moratoriums are always weak NSW should have outlawed GM, as next on the cards already “discussed” and in approval mode… are GM beef cattle! Our Government with little exception disgusts me and my family. Jen