GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS – AN INEVITABLE MUST SAYS REV FRED NILE

Wednesday 5^th November 2007

Rev Fred Nile, Leader of the Christian Democratic Party, has supported the Gene Technology (GM Crop Moratorium) Amendment Bill 2007 that was before State Parliament last night. In doing so, Rev Nile argued that genetically modified food was inevitable, would increase crop yields, reduce the need for pesticides, improve international trade and play an important role in maintaining an efficient food supply for the State of NSW.

“Consistent with support expressed by the Christian Democratic Party for the Gene Technology (GM Crop Moratorium) Act 2003, I support also the Gene Technology (GM Crop Moratorium) Amendment Bill 2007, which will amend the 2003 Act. Many years ago on behalf of the Christian Democratic Party I adopted the policy of inviting expert organisations to give us advice on legislation when information was not otherwise available. During the dinner break I had a discussion with Jock Laurie, the President of the New South Wales Farmers Association, and asked for his advice or recommendation in relation to this bill. He urged me to vote in favour of it. In accordance with the policy adopted by the Christian Democratic Party, I will vote in favour of the bill”, stated Rev Fred Nile in Parliament House.

“Since the original Act was introduced in 2003, market conditions have changed. GM canola is now responsible for 70 per cent of the world's trade and increasingly is being accepted by the farming community. GM canola offers increased yields while simultaneously reducing the quantity and severity of pesticide use. International experience supports the proposition that the adoption of GM canola will not result in a loss of market share for Australian canola. Other States, including Victoria, intend to lift their moratoriums on growing GM canola while Queensland has never imposed one. Having national consistency is important in maintaining an efficient food supply chain and also gives our farmers maximum opportunity to compete on a world scale. All of the existing strict health and environmental assessments will be maintained at a national level through the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator.

The bill will establish an Expert Committee to assess whether an industry is prepared and is capable of segregating GM and non-GM food crops. The bill allows the Minister to rescind approval to cultivate a specified GM food plant, should the industry fail to meet the criteria established by the Expert Committee. I believe this balanced approach will maintain protection for Australia's non-GM export grains market and provide certainty for investors in the research and development of new food crops. The bill extends the original 2003 Act until July 2011. It also establishes a scheme for consideration of applications for the commercial cultivation of GM food crops in New South Wales, if the crops have been approved for commercial cultivation by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator.

The bill restates the objects of the Act and continues a blanket moratorium on the commercial cultivation of GM food plants, except as permitted by the amended Act. It establishes a scheme for approving a GM food plant or class of GM food plant for commercial cultivation in New South Wales. It will ensure that the industry meets certain criteria addressing market requirements, including segregation of GM and non-GM food plants where relevant. I have referred already to the role of the Expert Committee.

This bill should be supported because in recent years the growing of GM crops has expanded dramatically throughout the world. The acceptance of GM crops is inevitable. In 2006 GM crops were grown globally on more than 102 million hectares by approximately 10 million farmers. It is the fastest-adopted crop technology in recent history. Major GM crops are soya bean, corn, cotton and canola. The crops have been modified to resist insect attack from major pests and to exhibit herbicide tolerance. The global market production of GM crops worldwide was $6.15 billion in 2006 and is projected to reach more than $6.8 billion in 2007. Globally the United States of America dominates GM crop production ahead of Argentina and Brazil while other countries are less involved. The global productivity ranking is 54 per cent in the United States in America, 18 per cent in Argentina, 12 per cent in Brazil, 6 per cent in Canada, 4 per cent in China, and 1 per cent in South Africa. Australia, along with 12 other countries, produces less than 0.2 per cent of the global GM crop. Some of those other countries are Romania, Mexico, Spain, Colombia, France, Iran and Germany. GM crops are being grown in Europe. Spain has been growing GM insect-resistant corn for the past six years, and the GM crop represents 7 per cent of that country's total corn crop. In reality, there is no total ban on GM crops in the European Union.

Canada, which has been both praised and criticised, dominates the world canola export trade with a market share of 71 per cent over the three-years to 2005-06, whereas Japan is the main importer of GM canola, taking 42 per cent of local imports in the three years to 2005-06. Further in the traditional import markets for canola, Japan, Mexico, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, GM canola is generally accepted as readily as is conventional canola, and both products sell for a very similar price. Against that background, I reiterate the Christian Democratic Party's support for the bill”, Rev Nile said.