Comments to Senate Select Committee on Food Processing Sector

These comments submitted in November 2011 cover the regulatory environment for Australia’s food processing and manufacturing companies including:

• food labelling

• the National Food Plan

Bayer application submission

Submission to the GTR on DIR 108, 18/10/11 by Gene Ethics on behalf of the GM-Free Australia Alliance and signatories.

Bayer submission comments

Letter accompanying submission on Bayer application.

National Food Plan leaflet petitioning Ludwig

Leaflet handed out outside the Victorian Rual Press Club this Month, where Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig was guest speaker. Authors: Gene Ethics, MADGE.

Japanese letter to CBH

2011 letter expressing concern about GM canola

Japanese letter to Redman

2011 letter expressing concern about GM canola

Japanese letter to Barnett

2011 letter expressing concern about GM canola

National Food Plan: comments on 2011 Issues Paper

Includes a summary of problems with GM, with reference to contamination and the Steve Marsh test case, consumer rejection and lack of rigorous examination by our food regulator FSANZ.

Blewett labelling review response - hierarchy framework issues

In response to the Blewett Label Review report recommendations and their implementation, we propose the following solutions to the questions posed in the Ministerial Council’s discussion paper.

Double food production with agroecological farming - leaflet

Summary of a new UN report that shows agroecological farming can double food production within 10 years, while mitigating climate change and alleviating poverty.
Downloadable double-sided A5 leaflet.

GM crops & foods: promises, profits & politics - leaflet

Concise double-sided updated A5 leaflet debunking common myths.

GM canola is a scam

Double-sided A5 summary of the problems with GM canola, with reference to recent contamination incidents in Australia, threats to our competitive advantage and the need for Farmer Protection laws.

GM contamination rampant at canola spill site

WA farmer Geoff Reed has seen flocks of parrots feeding on GM canola seed outside his front fence in Williams. The seed, spilled last week, is now germinating on the roadside after rain. Mr Reed has lived on the 400 acre farm all his life. Also today we have confirmation of a new outbreak of GM canola roadside weeds in NSW.

Review of the Gene Technology Act 2000

Our submission to the Gene Technology Ministerial Council Review of the Gene Technology Act 2000, on behalf of the GM-free Australia Alliance and 235 other organisations and individual signatories.

2010-11 annual report/appeal

Read about the successes we have achieved, with your help, this year. Also see what some of our supporters have to say, such as Margaret Fulton.

Payment details here

GT Act Review response

State, Territory and Australian Governments'

Response to the Statutory Review of the Gene Technology Act 2000 and the Gene Technology Agreement 2001.

GT Act Review presentation

Bob Phelps presentation to the Gene Technology Act Review on 15/11/05

GT Act Review 2005

Gene Ethics response to the Gene Technology Act Review issues paper 14/11/05

National Food Plan 2011

Submissions needed on the formation of a National Food Plan.

Call for submissions on GM soy

FSANZ asks for public comment on a 2011 GM soy application.

World Food Day 2011

Call for Action on World Food Day 2011

Report on animals exposed to GM ingredients in animal feed

Author: Heinemann, J.

Prepared for the Commerce Commission of New Zealand (2009).

Maternal and fetal exposure to pesticides associated to genetically modified foods in Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada

Authors: Aris A, Leblanc S

Journal: Reproductive Toxicology

Comments on FSANZ Application A1042 Food derived from herbicide-tolerant corn line DAS-40278-9

Gene Ethics asks Food Standards Australia New Zealand to reject application A1042 and to also review its approval of all other approved GM varieties, in the light of new and as yet unassessed evidence of potential harm to human and animal health and safety.

Truth in Labelling

Senate Community Affairs Committee into the Food Standards Amendment (Truth in labelling genetically modified material) Bill 2010. Submission February 2011.

GM crops and foods: promises, profits and politics

Bob Phelps in the Autumn 2011 issue of the Farm Policy Journal.

Patent Amendment (Human Genes and Biological Materials) Bill 2010

Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee, February 2011

The Patent Amendment (Human Genes and Biological Materials) Bill 2010 is a much needed piece of legislation. It will effectively and with precision amend the patent law to serve the public rather than private interests by excluding discoveries from being patentable subject matter. We fully support the Bill and ask the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee to recommend accordingly.

CBH Grain Weekly Comment 3 March 2011

Announces GM-free Australian canola is fetching premiums of $50 a tonne.