Japanese send WA 'please explain' on GM canola
10 October 2011The Japanese Seikatsu Club Consumers Co-operative Union and the Green Co-op Consumers Co-operative Union import GM-free canola from Western Australia. They wrote to West Australian Premier Colin Barnett, Food and Agriculture Minister Terry Redman and Co-operative Bulk Handlers (CBH) asking for safeguards on GM-free canola supplies but received no response.
These co-operatives are very concerned that non-GM canola may become unavailable to millions of Japanese consumers after the recent truck spill of genetically manipulated canola seed in GM-free Williams, the source of their recent imports says Gene Ethics Executive Director Bob Phelps. At the GM canola spill near Williams, 15 tonnes of GM canola seed spilled from a burning truck onto the roadside where it is now germinating.
A delegation of the co-ops to WA from October 12-18 will seek government and industry action to ensure the continued availability of non-GM canola from WA, the leading Australian canola exporting state.
The letters say: "Our co-operatives have bought non-GM canola, mainly from Western Australia, since 1998 and started buying directly from Williams farmers this year in an attempt to avoid GM. The ability of non-GM farmers to continue producing canola for us is now in danger. We are greatly concerned that this incident could hurt our relationships with CBH and with farmers in Williams." Although Japan does not grow canola, the letter reports it growing wild around ports and roadsides.
Mr Phelps says, "Judging from our experience here, the non-GM properties in the surrounding areas of the accident at Williams will inevitably be contaminated with GM canola if the spilled GM canola seeds are not properly cleaned up."
The Japanese co-operatives ask the WA Government, "Will you re-instate the moratorium on growing GM canola, at least until the parliament passes farmer protection laws to automatically compensate any producer who suffers GM contamination?" The letters also ask for answers to key questions:
* We request a full public accounting of how the incident occurred. What are your plans for investigations to this end?
* What measures do you intend to take to deal with the incident? How long do you intend to implement these measures?
* What measures are you going to take to improve your GM canola segregation programs throughout grain and oilseed supply chains, including GM transportation?
Mr Phelps says, "These co-operatives have 800,000 members in almost every prefecture in Japan. They are committed to GM-free foods and imported over 10,000 tonnes of canola from WA last year because of its GM-free status. More thorough and long term monitoring and cleanup is needed at the Williams spill site as canola seed can continue germinating for up to 16 years," Mr Phelps says. "The WA government and the grains industry lied about segregating GM from non-GM grain and preventing environmental contamination.
"Most farmers are GM-free and reap premiums of up to $50/tonne for their products here and overseas but GM contamination ends their competitive advantage and ability to give shoppers the GM-free foods they want," Mr. Phelps concludes.