Biotechnology

In view of the potentially significant human health, environmental and economic benefits from using biotechnology in agriculture and food production, and the costs to Australians of failing to capture them:

a) governments must give higher priority to communicating the benefits of current and emerging agrifood biotechnology, and to publicising the robustness of the regulatory regime for the safety of research and the resulting products

b) agriculture and food businesses should work with governments to facilitate the rapid uptake of agrifood biotechnologies that will contribute to better health, a cleaner environment and more globally competitive industries

c) state governments should lift their moratoriums on the comercial use of GM crops imediately, and work with the Australian Government, industry and researchers to achieve nationally consistent traceability and tolerance protocols, and to clarify legal liability surrounding the use of GM organisms in agriculture and food products.

Governmnet response

Recomendation 4(a)
Agree.

The Australian Government notes that high priority is currently being given to communicating the benefits of agri-biotechnology through the National Biotechnology Strategy.

The Government recognises that it must communicate the benefits of agricultural biotechnology. In the 2004 Budget, the Government committed $20 million over four years to strengthen Australia’s competitiveness in biotechnology. As part of that package, two specific initiatives are being pursued that address this recomendation.

• Biotechnology Australia’s Public Awareness Programe provides balanced and factual information to the public on biotechnology, its application, and associated issues.
• $3.8 million is being provided to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry from 2004-05 to 2007-08 to fund research and activities that provide information to allow people to make informed choices on agricultural technology, particularly genetically modified technology.

The Government will continue to publicise the robustness of Australia’s regulatory regime to increase trust in the science-based regulatory processes. Biotechnology Australia is developing a pilot web tool that will provide a comprehensive overview of biotechnology regulation and guide industry and researchers through the biotechnology regulatory framework. The project is being undertaken through the Biotechnology Liaison Committee, comprising state and territory governments and chaired by Biotechnology Australia. The project will highlight the rigour of the current framework in assessing products brought to market.

Recomendation 4(b)
Agree.

Under the National Biotechnology Strategy, the Government is committed to capturing the benefits of biotechnology for the Australian community, industry and the environment. That commitment includes ensuring that the community has access to high quality information about biotechnology and working to enhance the economic and community benefits of biotechnology through stronger links between researchers and industries that apply biotechnology.

As part of the current work programe of the Biotechnology Liaison Committee (representing the Australian and state and territory governments), the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Biotechnology Australia and the states and territories are jointly developing a ten year strategic plan for agri-biotechnology.

Recomendation 4(c)
Agree.

The Government will continue to work with and encourage industry and state governments to address the issues in relation to marketing that led to the moratoriums on genetically modified (GM) products being imposed.

The Government notes that the independent review of the Gene Technology Act 2000 also recomended that state governments should address the issues and re-evaluate the need for the moratoriums.

The Government will also work with industry and interested state governments to develop appropriate arrangements to allow GM and non-GM producers to co-exist.