Gene Ethics posed 20 questions on Genetically Manipulated (GM) foods, seeds and sustainable farms to leading political parties.
“The scorecard shows The Greens and Xenophon Team have the best policies on GM-free food, seed and farms to deliver the real change that agriculture urgently needs, to safely and securely feed all Australians into the future,” says Gene Ethics Director Bob Phelps.
“On our election scorecard, The Greens hit 80% as they were the only party to answer our questions and explain their policies. The Xenophon Team followed on 25%, with the ALP 8% and the Coalition Parties 0% as they did not reply.
The Greens say: “GMO assessments must be broad, independent and scientifically robust. Everyone has a right to know if foods contain any ingredients made using GM techniques, through the comprehensive labelling of those products.
“Over 90% of Australian shoppers want clear and honest GM food labels but we don’t have them so this policy is a clear winner,” he says.
Green concerns on the Trans Pacific Partnership and other ‘trade’ deals include: “The inclusion of ISDS in recent trade agreements, such as the TPP, creates a ‘race to the bottom’ that will hinder Australia’s ability to maintain our comparative advantage of clean, high quality agricultural product.”
“In response to our questions, they also oppose any deal that would allow the Low Level Presence of unapproved GM contaminants in international food shipments, as the TPP proposes,” Mr Phelps says.
The Greens share our concerns about the inadequacies of food regulation so: “support a review of FSANZ’s operations, (and) would consider options including suspending FSANZ’s operation, while ensuring that the best protection continues to be available to Australians.”
On Gene Ethics’ proposal for a Farmer Protection Fund to compensate landholders affected by GM contamination, paid for with a levy on GM seed sales, The Greens say they: “would seek to develop an appropriate mechanism to fund contamination clean up, and compensating farmers,” after consulting all stakeholders.
“We also applaud The Greens announcement of: ‘significant funding for investment in research and development and landcare, to improve the sustainability of the agriculture sector – http://greens.org.au/innovative-ag
The Xenophon Team told us: “Farmers and consumers should have the right to say no to GMOs” and that: “Government has a role to play in supporting continued research into the long-term unknown effects of GMOs on both human and plant health.”
Examples of their proposed actions include: “Ensure all GMO products are correctly labeled so consumers can make informed decisions,” and: “Protect farmers who want their crops to remain GMO-free by imposing stricter regulations and legal liability on the responsible for contamination.”
“The ALP merely reiterated their commitment to the status quo, a flawed regulatory regime that needs reform and the Coalition did not reply to our 20 questions, despite repeated efforts over the past month to elicit a response from both the Liberals and Nationals.”
“We will continue to advocate for GM-free eco-agricultural systems that can provide ample safe, secure and affordable food and fibre, locally-produced for all Australians,” Mr Phelps concludes.
Comment: Bob Phelps 0449 769 066 or 03 5968 2996
Download Gene Ethics’ 3 party responses:
Greens_election_Qs_response.pdf
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Bob Phelps Executive Director Gene Ethics
