Australia approves Monsanto's GM canola

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Australia approves Monsanto's GM canola

 

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- 09/01/2004 - Sparking criticisms, the Australian government's gene

technology regulator has given the green light for the commercial

use of a genetically modified canola from Monsanto – the second

approval for GM canola made by the country in the past few months.

 

 

Australia's regulator Dr Sue Meek said that she had decided to issue

a licence for the commercial release of Monsanto Australia's Roundup

Ready canola (GT73) `finding there were no environmental or health

reasons to prevent the commercial release' of the product, altered

to make it resistant to the most commonly used broadacre herbicide,

glyphosate. A herbicide also produced by Monsanto .

 

In giving the green light, Australia joins the US, Japan and Canada

who already commercially grow the product, in some cases since 1995.

 

Monsanto's GT73 is produced for human food (oil) and livestock feed

consumption and has been approved for food products since 1997 in

Europe, although it can not be grown.

 

Elsewhere in the world, Japan gave approval for its use in food

products in 1996, Canada in 1994, the US in 1995 and Australia in

2000.

 

Argentine or oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is grown as a commercial

crop in 50 countries, with a combined harvest of over 40 million

metric tonnes. The major producers of rapeseed in 2000 were China,

Canada, India, Germany, France, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

 

Canola is a genetic variation of B. napus with low levels of the

natural rapeseed toxins glucosinolate and erucic acid, developed

through conventional plant breeding. Canola is grown for its seed,

which represents a major source of edible vegetable oil and is also

used in livestock feeds.

 

The major food use of canola in North America and Europe is as a

refined oil. Typically, canola oil is used by itself as a salad oil

or cooking oil, or blended with other vegetable oils in the

manufacture of margarine, shortenings, cooking and salad oils.

Canola meal, a byproduct of the oil production process, is added to

livestock feed rations.

 

But the anti-GM farmers body, the Network of Concerned Farmers,

criticised Dr Meek's decision at the Office of the Gene Technology

Regulator (OGTR), arguing that it failed to take into account the

economic harm Australia might face because of the GM canola.

 

Network spokeswoman Julie Newman has called for an immediate

parliamentary inquiry and a review of Dr Meek's decision.

 

" Our regulatory process has become little more than an expensive

illusion to deflect product liability from the GM industry to the

farmers and the public. We demand accountability, " said Newman.

 

Certain state governments, such as Victoria until May 2004, have

plumped to ban the commercial production of genetically modified

canola, which means that the introduction of Monsanto's product will

certainly be gradual.

 

Under new European legislation, from April 2004 all GM-derived oils –

irrespective of whether the GM material is still present– will have

to be labelled as containing an ingredient derived from a GM source.

Under current legislation in Europe this is not necessary – only if

a food manufacturer knowingly uses the new DNA.

 

This week the US biotech giant Monsanto posted a first quarter net

loss of US$97m, or 37 cents a share, to 30 November, compared to a

net loss of $18m, or 7 cents a share, a year earlier.