www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

Australia is falling behind in the rapid world growth of more productive
biotech crops, such as drought-tolerant and pest resistant strains, the
former deputy prime minister Anderson says, February 2007 by Mark
Metherell.

"Food versus fuel" fights over the diversion of crops to biofuels threaten
to hit Australia unless this country dramatically upgrades crop development,
John Anderson believes.

The Nationals MP has called for a rethink on the states' bans against
genetically-modified food crops. "If we are going to avoid an ugly stand-off
over food versus fuel, we are going to have to spend a lot more on plant
research ? because it is very likely that a large part of the answer on
renewable energy will be biofuels," Mr Anderson told the Herald.

The huge potential for genetically modified crops, including the use of
non-grain crops and residues to supplement oil as a fuel, was being lost to
Australia because of irrational fears.

"Many of the current bans have been driven by concern about the unknown and
fears of the so-called 'Frankenstein food' factor but the reality is more
and more GM crops are being grown around the world."

Australia has about 200,000 hectares planted in biotech crops, most of it
modified cotton, compared with the estimated total world area of more than
100 million hectares, half of it in the United States.

The local distaste for modified foods meant Australia was "a First World
country growing Third World crops", said another Government MP, Mal Washer.

Vaccines in bananas, modified peanuts free of a potentially lethal allergen,
vitamin A in rice and grains containing therapeutic Omega 3 fish oil were
all possible, but out of bounds in Australia, Dr Washer said.

Australians would not eat modified food yet happily injected themselves with
genetically modified medicines, such as insulin, he said.

Dr Washer, who raised the issue at the Coalition party room meeting
yesterday, told the Herald later that the federal and state governments
needed to counter irrational barriers to modified food.

State governments, including NSW, have imposed moratoriums on genetically
modified crops, because of crop contamination and export marketing concerns,
despite an approval granted by the federal Office of the Gene Technology
Regulator in 2003 for commercial cultivation of a modified strain of
herbicide-tolerant canola.

Genetically modified foods can be sold in Australia provided they are
labelled as such, but only a "tiny number" of modified products, mostly
imported, are sold, according to the regulatory agency Food Standards
Australia and New Zealand.

The CSIRO says no evidence has been found anywhere of risks from eating
genetically modified foods. "If food prices are to remain low in real terms,
advantage must be taken of advances in all stages of the food production
chain, including GM plants and animals," the CSIRO said.

Mr Anderson said a taste of the explosive potential of the food versus fuel
conflict was already being experienced elsewhere.

Mexicans had rioted over tortilla prices driven up by demand for corn to
produce biofuel. Unrest had broken out in South Africa over competition for
sorghum, used to make beer and its growing role as a biofuel.

Mr Anderson, who retires from politics at this year's federal election, says
his priority is to campaign for Australia to expand its effort on the
development of new generation food and fuel plants.

"This will turn into a race between food and fuel," he said, unless
Australia grappled with the latest technology in food and biofuel production
that would be of crucial significance to drought-hit Australia.

On a visit to the US, he said he saw drought-tolerant crops which produced
more grain and biomass with less water than required by conventional crops.

[www.smh.com.au]