Western Australia bans all GM crops

By MICHAEL BYRNES

Australia's largest state, Western Australia, says it will ban the growing of all genetically modified (GM) crops.

The state is a major producer of wheat, barley, canola and pulses.

Australia so far produces only cotton and carnations as GM crops, but last year the federal Gene Technology Regulator approved the growing of genetically modified canola, used for cooking oil.

State governments, however, have the power to ban GM crops for marketing purposes.

All Australian state governments where canola is grown have moratoriums on GM crops, although New South Wales will soon consider an undisclosed decision by an advisory council on whether a large-scale commercial trial crop may be planted this season.

Western Australian Premier Geoff Gallop said yesterday that GM crops would be banned so the state's farmers could continue to market GM-free produce and to seek out new markets with confidence.

This also reflected overwhelming public opinion in Western Australia and consumer sentiment around the world, he said.

"During the last three years public opinion in Western Australia has further strengthened against the intrusion of GM technology into the food chain," Gallop said.

An over-riding argument to embrace GM technology in food production may emerge in the future, he added.

Western Australia's agricultural food sector contributes A$9.2 billion ($10.5 billion) to the state's economy and employs 10 per cent of its workforce.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (Abare) is forecasting that in the 2003-04 year Western Australia will produce 610,000 tonnes of canola in a national crop of 1.6 million tonnes.

New South Wales is forecast to produce 282,000 tonnes.

Australia is the second-largest canola exporter in the world, after Canada, whose crop is mainly genetically modified.

However, Australia exports only small amounts of canola to Europe, which does not import GM product.

Western Australia is also forecast to produce 10.7 million tonnes of wheat this year in a national crop of 24.9 million tonnes, and 3 million tonnes of barley in a national crop of 8.5 million tonnes.

GM wheat is generally not seen as being produced in the near-term because of complex science and its status as a staple food.

Anti-GM campaigner GeneEthics Network called on other Australian states to follow Western Australia in banning GM crops.

Bayer CropScience, which produces GM crops, said Western Australian farmers and the environment would be the biggest losers.