July 26, 2007

 

GM crops get increasing support in Australia

 

 

Public support for genetically modified crops in Australia in recent years is escalating, according to a federal research.

 

The research -- commissioned by federal agency Biotechnology Australia-- shows almost three quarters of Australians appear to accept GM crops, but more than half are still worried about the health risks involved.

 

The results of the survey are mounting pressure for the government to lift its ban on GM crops, particularly on GM canola.

 

The Grains Council of Australia (GCA) has called for the bans in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia to be removed as soon as the current reviews are completed.

 

The survey --which was done through telephone and online to more than 1,000 respondents -- 73 percent of those surveyed said they now accepted the genetic modification of crops, up from 48 percent last year.

 

Fewer people -- 54 percent compared with 71 percent last year -- believed that using GM crops to produce food was risky.

 

However, crop modification is still deemed risky than other applications of biotechnology, including for non-food crop production and in medicines and other medical uses.

 

And people were still less willing to eat GM-crop foods (an average ''score'' of 5.1 out of 10) than organic food (8.2) and non-organic food (6.1).

 

The survey report said the results showed people were becoming more familiar with GM technology.

 

The survey, of course, was provoked a sharp response from anti-GM group such as Gene Ethics which alleged the survey that it has manipulated participants and misrepresented the results.

 

Gene Ethics director Bob Phelps said respondents were given the impression GM solutions to environmental problems were available now, when most of them were still at least 10 years away.

 

GCA chairman Murray Jones said Australia's grain growers are losing to competitors who were using GM crops.

 

He said the industry had developed protocols and stewardship schemes which would allow co-existence of GM and non-GM crops to be successfully handled through the supply chain.