August 13, 2008

 

 

The state government in Victoria in south-eastern Australia has condemned a group of anti-GM activists for putting online maps of farms growing GM crops in the state. 

 

Victoria, in south-eastern Australia, is the country's smallest but most urbanised state, with 90 percent of the population living in towns and cities.

 

Protest group Gene Ethics, published on the internet a map of farms growing GM rapeseed along with the names of farmers who owned the farms.

 

The Premier, John Brumby, is listed on the website as a farmer willing to plant GM crops.

 

He says he has no intention to, but wants farmers to feel free to plant whatever crops they choose. He further stressed that GM crops are nationally and are also  legal in Victoria. He added that he hoped the group would respect farmers' choices.

 

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) President, Simon Ramsay, said Gene Ethics is invading farmers' privacy.

 

Ramsay said the group is putting up the sites hoping enough pressure will bear on those farmers to stop using biotechnology. He added that he would press for the map to be removed including legal action claiming undue discrimination and invasion of privacy.

 

The farmers are planting the first commercial GM rapeseed crop to be harvested spring after a moratorium on GM crops lapsed earlier this year.

 

However, Bob Phelps from the protest group, Gene Ethics, says other farmers are entitled to know where GM crops are growing.

 

Organic growers and local councils would find these information useful, he added. In fact, the information being put up on the internet is already in the public domain and what the group has done is to gather the information in one centralised source. 

 

Phelps says he is confident the information will not lead to vigilante action by protesters, adding that the point is that the public is entitled to this information.