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Marketing and Trade
Market and trade issues have been identified as key research areas for the DAFF agricultural biotechnology studies and initiatives. While the worldwide adoption of Genetically Modified (GM) crops has rapidly increased every year since their introduction in 1995, consumer sentiment in some countries remains against the use of GM ingredients in food.
In Australia, several GM food ingredients have been approved by Food Standards Australia New Zealand. GM crops approved for commercial release in Australia by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator are cotton, carnations and canola. The GM carnations have been modified to produce different coloured flowers. The GM cotton varieties have been modified to be resistant to certain pests and/or herbicides. The GM canola varieties are herbicide resistant, however it has not been commercially produced in Australia yet. Shortly after the OGTR approved GM canola for intentional release, canola-growing states established moratoriums to prohibit the commercial production of this crop due to marketing and trade related concerns.
In late 2007, New South Wales and Victoria announced changes to their moratoria after extensive review processes. In Victoria, the moratorium on GM canola was allowed to lapse on 29 February 2008, while in New South Wales the Minister for Primary Industries is now able to approve GM food crops for commercial cultivation.
- GM crops in Emerging Economies: Impacts on Australian Agriculture (March 2008)
PDF [1.3mb] - A national market access framework for GM canola and future GM crops (August 2007) PDF [1.2mb]
- GM Oilseed crops and the Australian oilseed industry report (August 2007) PDF [1.1mb]
- GM Canola: An Information Package (August 2007) PDF [2mb]
- Potential impacts from the introduction of GM canola on organic farming in Australia (May 2007) PDF [307kb]
- Market acceptance of GM canola - ABARE research report (March 2007) PDF [454kb]
- Report - Biosafety Protocol - implications of the documentation regime (Feb 2006) PDF [463kb]
Marketing and Trade - Reports Archive
