GM canola contaminates organic farm

08 December 2010
A West Australian organic farmer has found genetically manipulated (GM) canola seeds contaminating nearly two thirds of his arable land. Australian organic standards mandate zero tolerance for any GM so he will consider suing for financial loss, the first case of its kind in Australia. >> read more

Food Labelling laws must be stronger, now

06 December 2010
The Food Regulation Ministerial Council received the Blewett report on national Food Labelling Law and Policy in Adelaide recently but did not release it. Gene Ethics calls for immediate publication and says a delay of many months is unacceptable. >> read more

Brumby and Baillieu fail on Genetic Manipulation policies

19 November 2010
ALP  Government and Coalition responses to Gene Ethics' GM policy questionnaire for the state election show both are heavily committed to the adoption of GM crops and foods. In stark contrast, the Greens and Socialist Alliance back comprehensive GM-free policies. >> read more

South Australian GM canola 'trials' threaten GM-free status

09 November 2010
Bayer Cropscience has applied to 'trial' genetically manipulated herbicide tolerant canola at 21 sites of up to 6 hectares each, in Victoria and 'GM-free' South Australia, from January 2011. >> read more

Australia shuns the Biosafety Protocol

17 October 2010
Australia shuns the UN Protocol on Biosafety that most countries will adopt in Nagoya, Japan, next week. The protocol is a global quarantine and customs treaty to protect the environment and human health from genetically manipulated organisms (GMOs). >> read more

Monsanto's GM food, formula and canola dumped

14 October 2010
To mark UN World Food Day, mothers and shoppers will dump rogue GM canola weeds, and GM contaminated soy infant formula S-26, at Monsanto's headquarters today at noon. >> read more

GM soy linked to birth defects, cancer: new study

06 October 2010
New revelations from the EU show formula recently found to contain GM here must be labelled. >> read more

Rogue GM canola found on roadsides, eaten by sheep

17 September 2010
Feral GM canola weeds have been discovered on roadsides in Victoria. The GM contamination has already started spreading further: upon a later inspection of the GM canola weeds, Geoffrey Carracher, from the Network of concerned Farmers, noticed some of them had been eaten by nearby sheep. >> read more

False promises of GM rice research

17 September 2010
The Centre for Plant Functional Genomics has not applied to the Office of Gene Technology Regulator for a licence to research or trial salt tolerant rice. Yet the centre wildly claims GM rice 'offers hope for the global food supply'. >> read more

Gillard and Abbott fail on GM but Greens back precautionary principle

12 August 2010
Our survey of the major parties ahead of next week's federal election shows the ALP and the Coalition are very aware of deep community concerns over genetically manipulated organisms. But unlike the Greens, neither Julia Gillard nor Tony Abbott's parties will commit to strengthening the law or regulatory system. >> read more

GM farmers revealed on our new map

31 July 2010
Gene Ethics has launched an online map to help non-GM growers pinpoint those farms where genetically manipulated canola is growing, after the State Government broke its promise to publish a map of all GM farms. >> read more

World According to Monsanto media information

10 July 2010
Five-page media release on the book by Australian publisher Spinifex Press. Includes excerpts and a glossary. >> download file

Food Labelling Review must back GM food labels

04 May 2010
April 29: Gene Ethics will give evidence to National Food Labelling Review hearings today in Melbourne. We will ask for all foods made using genetic manipulation (GM) techniques to be labelled, without any exemptions. >> read more

EU grain traders tell WA Govt it risks markets on GM

21 April 2010
In a letter dated February 26, three European grain traders tell WA Premier Barnett they will not buy WA grain if GM canola is grown. Barnett and Agriculture Minister Redman hid this letter from the Lower House during the disallowance debate on March 10. >> download file

South Austraila: GM-Free till 2014!

31 March 2010
The South Australian Labor Government has again made clear its unequivocal commitment to extending the present ban on genetically manipulated (GM) crops for this term of government. >> download file

Review set to weaken food labelling

29 March 2010
There is a real danger that the national food labelling review could further weaken our lax labelling laws in the interests of trade. The Review received 6,000 submissions in the first round of comment last November, despite just three weeks notice. The lack of full labelling of genetically manipulated (GM) foods was one of the issues most often raised. >> download file

WA Government GM crop rebellion quashed by Monsanto influence

11 March 2010
Pressure from the GM crop industry and Federal Government has quashed a rebellion within the WA Liberal Party. Six members threatened to cross the floor or abstain from voting to block the commercial growing of genetically manipulated (GM) canola in Western Australia, to support the disallowance motion tabled by shadow agriculture minister Mick Murray yesterday. The motion would have continued the ban on commercial GM canola in the state. >> download file

South Australia: GM-free till 2014?

11 March 2010
The South Australian Liberal Opposition has not made a clear and unequivocal election promise to extend the present ban on genetically manipulated (GM) crops for the term of the next government. >> download file

ISAAA reports less GM crops in 2009

24 February 2010
The annual GM industry-funded survey of global GM crops, by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agro-biotech Applications (ISAAA), shows 7 of the 25 GM countries grew less genetically manipulated (GM) crops in 2009. No more countries adopted GM and just 2.7% of global agricultural land was used for GM soy, corn, canola and cotton. >> download file

GM-Free Media Alert

16 February 2010
Supporters of a GM-free future will attend the Victorian Rural Press Club breakfast on Thursday to advocate bans on GM crops. Monsanto Australia’s lead Peter O'Keeffe will be there to promote Roundup tolerant genetically manipulated (GM) canola and claim the company has a role in agricultural development. >> download file

GM Eggplant Decision

11 February 2010
The Indian Government has banned the growing of genetically manipulated (GM) eggplant. The ban will remain until independent scientific studies satisfy the public and experts that the crop has no long term negative impacts on human health and the environment. >> download file

WA sacrifices its GM-free competitive advantage

25 January 2010
The Western Australian parliament must disallow the exemption from the law that would allow commercial Roundup tolerant genetically manipulated (GM) canola to be commercially grown. Gene Ethics is fully informing MPs with the data needed to reject the exemption order when it comes up for review. >> download file