GM food crops to be planted in weeks (NSW Australia) | SMH

[Ediacara]

GM food crops to be planted in weeks

By Stephanie Peatling, Environment Reporter
February 24, 2004

Thousands of hectares of genetically modified canola could be planted in NSW as soon as April, after a meeting of the State Government's expert council decided there was no reason it should not go ahead.

Two chemical companies have applied to run joint tests of GM canola in NSW and have asked that the participating farmers be allowed to sell the crops.

An official recommendation is expected to go to the Minister for Agriculture, Ian Macdonald, next month but members of the NSW Agricultural Advisory Council on Gene Technology told the Herald the proposal would be given the all clear.

Jo Immig, representing the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, said the council was being pressured to make a decision about the trial so GM canola could be sown this season.

More at the Sydney Morning Herald

[havocmom]

1. oh, joy, now corps. can start sueing farmers down under

when their GM DNA start showing up in fields their seeds weren't purchased for. Polon and seeds do what they are supposed to do, blow, fall, spread and propagate. Trouble with GM crops is when nature takes its course and porpagates, farmers can be wrongfully sued for patent violation.

GM crops are not what scares me. Corporate ownership of the world's food production through lawsuits for patent infringement terrifies me.

When farmers can't save some of their seed for replanting, it creates financial burden on independent growers. When GM seed blow off of grain trucks, into fields and take root, family farms can be lost. That is the real danger with patented crops.

If you think it's a hassle having to deal with Big Oil to fuel your car,
just wait til Big Food makes independent farming a thing of the past.

Hi, Dino boy :hi: I just had to jump in on this one. LOL

[Ediacara]

2. I think any litigation would be promptly thrown out

As any sane judge would say, "Well what the heck did you expect seeds and pollen to do bonehead?"

[Eureka]

6. I'm not so sure

Poor Percy Schmeiser, lost the lot in Canada because of this. From memory, Monsanto admitted they couldn't control the stuff, and that it had blown onto his property from trucks, but the sued him anyway and he not only lost his current crop, but profits from future crops because it would be contaminated too. Very bad news IMHO.

There is info here, www.percyschmeiser.com, but since I'm cyber-bludging at the moment I can't pull out all the juicy bits :-)

On edit: something just occured to me, there was talk that the new "free" trade agreement with the US has some provision that may allow companies in the US to sue companies here in the US courts and have it binding, that could be a real hoot if (say) Monsanto sues an Aussie farmer in the US, and the farmer needs to pay to mount a defence in the US, (this could probably happen the other way around too) the costs would be enormous.

[yellowcanine]

4. "When GM seed blow off of grain trucks"

Do you have any links to stories about this happening? This is a common misconception - actually quite an unlikely occurrence. Likewise the issue of pollen from GM crops resulting in farmers being sued. In one case where Monsanto sued a Canadien farmer court the farmer's field was over 90% GM. It didn't get that way from pollen. I am also very critical of Monsanto and other biotech companies - but if a farmer knowingly violates the law he has only himself to blame if he gets caught.

[Eureka]

7. No evidence but.....

I've lived in grain growing areas all my life, and this happens heaps here (maybe we don't cover the trucks well enough).

During harvest, country roads here in grain areas are literally covered with birds killed because there are huge flocks of them eating the grain on the side of the road.

[lindashaw]

3. FYI..I thought I had acid reflux disease until I stopped using canola

products. The acid went away. Hmmmmmm.

[twilight]

5. what do canola products do exactly?

Are canola products known to cause acid reflux disease? Is it only GM'd canola? If the canola product(s) are organic does this make a difference? Are some people allergic to canola? :shrug: :wtf:

:dem: :kick: