In a discussion on Radio National breakfast today it was claimed that the Howard government is keen to push through legislation which will lead to open slather in GM agriculture in Australia. The urgency, it is claimed, is that Australian farmers are on the brink of being left behind in global competition. The economic reality is rather different.
Canadian farmers, under the terms of a US free trade agreement rather like the one we have, are growing vast amounts of GM canola, for which the only markets are pet feed and ethanol production. There is no market for GM conola as human food. In fact Australia has 20% of the world market in GM Free canola for human consumption. Once GM canola becomes wide spread, the demand for our GM Free canola will drop rapidly, obliging farmers to join up to the Montsanto canola franchise, where seed and agri-chemicals can only be purchased under contract licence from Montsanto. The only winners will be Montsanto, agribusiness and ethanol producers.
The losers will be the farmers and consumers, and of course who knows what long term consequences there will be for the environment, domestic agriculture and human health.
Howard’s US free trade agreement continues to sell our interests down the river of global corporate profits.
Responsible economic managers? Pure asshattery.
Filed under: Ass Hattery, Economics, Environment, Politics
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