There are 10 million farmers around the world using genetically
modified crops, according to a new publication released by Australia's peak
grains research body aimed at informing the contentious biotechnology
debate.
Launched at the Agriculture Australia conference in Melbourne,
FutureCrop is from the the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
It explores recent biotechnology advances and investigates
developments overseas, where more than 10 million farmers have found ready
markets for genetically modified crops.

GRDC managing director, Peter Reading, said his organisation had
closely monitored the biotechnology debate and was aware of industry
positions that favour and oppose GM.

"FutureCrop provides a snapshot of arguments that define the GM
debate, and demonstrates that both GM and conventional non-GM pathways have
important roles to ensure our grains industries ? and their communities ?
remain viable," Mr Reading said.

Using GM and non-GM processes, biotechnology provides opportunities to
produce higher-value crops with health and industrial benefits, and to
mitigate economic and environmental challenges such as climate change.

"Biotechnology has equipped breeders with molecular markers to
identify desired gene combinations early in the breeding cycle, making crop
improvements through conventional breeding more efficient," Mr Reading said.

"It also has produced the tools to potentially further enhance
breeding through genetic modification by broadening the range of traits that
are available to breeders and by offering these traits in a format that can
be readily implemented."

However, while Australian breeders have embraced molecular markers as
a routine breeding tool, Mr Reading said they were not making use of GM
technologies because there is no clear path to market in Australia for GM.

"As far as complex traits such as drought tolerance are concerned,
Australian breeders are reliant on the important work of Syria-based
Australian researcher Dr Ken Street and his colleagues, who sample genetic
resources from the world's original cereal crops for use in breeding," he
said.

Dr Street, a scientist with the International Centre for Agricultural
Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), told today's Agriculture Australia
conference that genetic resources were vital for economic sustainability and
food security ? "a major understated threat from global warming".

"This is a survival issue: for many people around the world it means
avoiding starvation; for farmers in countries like Australia it means
economic survival," he said.


[nqr.farmonline.com.au]