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Farm loses organic certification due to contamination by Monsanto GM canola
Sat 25 Dec 2010
By takver
Western Australia GM GM canola Monsanto organic
In Western Australia organic farmer Stephen Marsh has had his organic
accreditation suspended after independent testing showed his oats and cereal
crops had been contaminated by genetically modified (GM) seeds from a
neighbouring property in Western Australia's Great Southern region. Tests by
the WA Department of Agriculture have confirmed the contamination.
Related: GM canola growing in Melbourne suburb (Nov 2009) | Gene Ethics
Network | Countercurrents: Wikileaks Memos Reveal U.S. Gov't Pushing
Gene-Altered Crops Worldwide
The Liberal Party Barnett Government allowed Genetically Modified (GM)
canola crops to be grown commercially early this year, despite warnings that
contamination of organically grown crops was a palpable risk.
"Our livelihood is at stake as we are a certified organic farm and rely on
the premium that comes with selling guaranteed GM-free organic food, in
Australia and in overseas markets," Mr Marsh said in a media release on the
Geneethics website, "Governments that allow GM canola to be grown must
ensure whatever a farmer does within their boundary does not impact on
neighbouring farms. But clearly, the technology can't be contained." he
said.
The National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) is
conducting an official investigation.
Jessica Harrison, a Gene Ethics Cropwatch technician said that governments
have favoured only the GM industry and their growers. "In a letter to Mr
Marsh, WA Agriculture Minister Terry Redman recently wrote: '... zero per
cent thresholds are unrealistic in biological systems'. Yet on March 11 this
year, when announcing an end to the GM canola ban, Redman had said: 'The
trials proved GM and non-GM canola can be segregated and marketed
separately'.
"The government mislead us and now our farmers and consumers are paying the
price. Laws need to be enacted to protect the majority of farmers want to
stay GM-free. Farmers must be compensated for any loss of premiums and
certification that result from GM contamination." said Harrison, "A majority
of people will not buy GM contaminated food products and are flocking to
organics but this incident puts that trust under a cloud."
In February 2010 three European grain traders wrote to Premier Barnett
saying they would not buy WA grain if GM canola was introduced because of
the risk of contamination. This statement was hidden from parliament during
the disallowance debate in April, according to Geneethics.
Opposition Shadow Minister for Agriculture Mick Murray also attacked the
Barnett Government and Food and Agriculture Minister Terry Redman in media
statement on December 23 "Our greatest fears have become reality and the
Minister must now deal with the consequences of his reckless and
irresponsible decision."
Monsanto has pledged legal support to the GM canola grower if legal action
is taken against them. "Mr Marsh could be left with overwhelming court costs
as well as destroyed crops." said Mick Murray, "Well done Mr Redman, you may
well have not only destroyed a farmer's livelihood but you have, in your
wheeling and dealing with Monsanto, put the farmer in a position where he
financially may not be able to defend himself."
The shadow minister has called for Terry Redman, the current Agriculture and
Food Minister, to allow WA shires to declare themselves Genetically Modified
(GM) crop-free.
The confirmation that organic crops have been contaminated follows
revelations by Greenpeace through Freedom of Information requests that the
Western Australian Government has failed to test for the illegal presence of
genetically modified (GM) DNA in food.
"The FOI evidence shows that Agriculture Minister Terry Redman has
completely abandoned the property rights of WA farmers and failed in the
most basic duty of care," said Greenpeace GM campaigner Laura Kelly.
The WA Government has an obligation under Australia's Food Standards to test
for compliance with GM labelling laws. Greenpeace submitted FoI requests in
September 2010 for details of all tests conducted by the WA Government on
food and food products to determine whether they contained novel DNA or
proteins, between 2005 and the present. A reply was received from the WA
Department of Health advising that "... the Department has not conducted or
participated in, and does not hold any documents relating to, received any
tests of the nature described in your application."
"Minister Redman has done nothing to protect farmers from inevitable
contamination from GM crops. Now these FOI results show his government isn't
fulfilling its legal requirement to test food for GM contamination and
ensure it is correctly labeled under Australian food standards." said Kelly.
"This amounts to a big green light to foreign chemical companies like
Monsanto to contaminate Western Australian farms, because there will be no
legal or financial repercussions in the field or at the check-out,
regardless of the costs this creates for our farmers and Australian
consumers."
"Because of Redman's leadership failure, farmers have lost their non-GM
market premium, WA consumers have lost their fundamental right to know if
they are eating GM and foreign chemical companies will increase their
control of Western Australia's food supply," concluded Kelly in a media
statement on December 16.
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