eNews
EU grain traders warn WA Govt risks markets
05 May 2010 April 27, 2010In a letter dated February 26 this year, three European grain traders tell WA Premier Barnett they will not buy WA grain if GM canola is grown.
Gene Ethics calls on the WA Parliament to disallow the Government’s exemption from its GM-free Zone laws, so that commercial Roundup tolerant canola would continue to be prohibited as it is in South Australia and Tasmania.
When the Legislative Councillors debate Green MLC Giz Watson's disallowance motion and vote in the next few weeks, they should consider the market losses that will follow GM and resolve to keep WA GM-free.
Adding weight to the European commitment to GM-free is another recent letter to the Premier which renews the commitment of Japanese food co-operatives with 8 million members, to buy only GM-free canola. The Japanese are writing GM-free contracts with South Australian growers, where the government has extended their GM canola ban till 2014.
In Victoria last season, farmers who grew GM-free canola were paid up to $15 per tonne more than farmers with GM. Elders Toepfer and CBH - buyers and marketers of bulk grains - both said they have markets for GM-free in Europe and Japan that would not tolerate GM contaminated supplies. As a result, neither company would buy canola from any receival depot that handled or stored GM to avoid contamination.
The majority of shoppers and farmers want to stay GM-free and the WA Government should comply.
Read the EU grain traders letter and Japanese letter at:
http://www.geneethics.org/resource