August 30, 2010
Monsanto urges Australians to embrace GM food
Global biotechnology company Monsanto has started an education and advocacy campaign to change the opposition many Australia consumers have to genetically modified food.
Speaking at the NSW Farmwriters Forum in Sydney, Monsanto's head in Australia, Peter O'Keefe, argued that organic and permaculture production was "not viable" on a large scale, and Australia was falling behind other countries in productivity improvements because of the reluctance to embrace GM technology.
He said something had to be done to turn around the poor global performance of wheat against other crops, which he said was caused partly by public opposition to GM crops and "crippling" government policies in Australia.
Monsanto has just reached agreement with Grains Research and Development Council (GRDC) to own 20% of the WA research company Intergrain, a move that the GRDC and Monsanto say will produce a "revolution" in the grains industry.
The agreement gives Monsanto access to a large number of Australian varieties, while Integrain has access to Monsanto's research technology.
