Australia
December 6, 2007
The Australian Academy of
Science supports the responsible and ethical use of gene
technologies to produce genetically modified plants for use in
Australian agriculture and works with governments, scientists,
NGOs, international organisations and the community on all
GM-related issues.
Australian science has a key role to assist in global food
security. There are already immediate urgent needs in the
developing world to secure yields and to reduce the impact of
pests, diseases and environmental degradation. In the mid to
longer term, there is likely to be a need to improve food
security in developed countries like Australia, as water,
climate change impact and land degradation limits the capacity
of agricultural production. Gene technology can play a role in
the alleviation of malnutrition, enhancing sustainability and
securing yields worldwide. Its potential must be harnessed.
Sometimes, the lack of full certainty, in an environment of
manageable risk, should not be used as the reason to postpone
measures where genetic modification can legitimately be used to
address environmental or public health issues (1,2).
The industry
Plant science and plant gene technology will be critical
activities of the nation’s response to many challenges it faces
in the coming decades. These activities include adapting to, and
mitigating climate change, the production of food products with
preventative health functions, the production of bioenergy,
biofuels and biomaterials from renewable resources as fossil
fuels diminish, maintaining efficient and sustainable use of our
natural resources while feeding a growing global population, and
meeting the increasingly sophisticated market demands as
economies emerge in our region.
Biotechnology is a key industry sector in the economy, receiving
significant support from government and the private sector. It
has the potential to deliver new consumer goods, employment
opportunities and benefits to the environment. This sector is
experiencing significant growth, driven by rapid advances in
gene technology, especially genomics research.
Potential benefits
Gene technology is integral to biotechnology and an essential
tool in modern plant biology. Australia has a strong position in
global plant science and is a significant contributor to
advances in plant gene technology. The technology is being
harnessed to gain fundamental insights into the molecular basis
of life and has enabled the production of genetically modified
(GM) cotton, the first broad acre GM crop to be released
commercially in Australia. Coupled with existing breeding and
production systems, gene technology and scientific innovation
can deliver commercial GM crops offering improved financial and
environmental outcomes for the agricultural sector. While gene
technology is not a panacea in agriculture, it is an important
enabling technology that has already proven its place globally
with 102 million hectares of GM crops grown in 2006 (3).
It is important to consider the wider context in which gene
technology may be used. The adoption of GM cotton in Australia
has reduced pesticide use, and the adoption of
herbicide-tolerant cotton allows the use of more environmentally
benign weed management than was previously used in the
conventional cotton production system.
There are many other potential uses of GM other than herbicide
tolerant crops, including some that can deliver direct health
benefits to consumers, such as important drugs, healthier food
oils, removal of allergens from food, as well as environmental
benefits, for example bioremediation and feral pest control.
There is a significant body of research being undertaken to
develop the next generation of products that could have
significant consumer benefits.
Regulation and safety in Australia
The impact of current adverse consumer reaction by some citizens
to GMs and the science system, more broadly, has the potential
to negatively impact on innovation and with the flow-on risk of
discouraging investment in research and development2, harming
Australia’s progress. The rapid uptake of GM technology in the
Americas contrasts with Europe and indicates that the benefits
are being actively pursued by those countries with experience of
GM traits. Future Australian governments will need to address
issues relating to business ethics in GM canola and other
genetically-modified organisms.
There is a need for more effective dialogue between scientists
and the mainstream environmental movements to establish common
ground and identify areas for future research. The Academy
supports a strong and robust public debate as an important
component of the introduction of any significantly new
technology into society. The Academy emphasises the fundamental
importance of peer-reviewed quality science and substantive
evidence in assisting public debate.
Gene technology can deliver benefits to human health and
agricultural sustainability, as already evident in GM production
of human insulin as well as the overall changes to more benign
pesticide use in soybean, corn and cotton. As with other new
technologies being introduced into society, identification of
any risks with GM products and their management is essential.
The Academy strongly supports public scrutiny and safety of
genetic research. Scientists catalysed the formation of the
Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee, and supported the
establishment of the independent Office of the Gene Technology
Regulator (OGTR) and the current risk-based, transparent and
national approach to regulation by the OGTR and Food Standards
Australia New Zealand. These stringent national regulatory
mechanisms are in place to ensure rigorous risk assessment on
human health and the environment for new GM products.
State-based legislation should be consistent with the national
system and needs to be based on rigorous science and be
transparent.
GM products have been in several foods for many years and
consumed without any substantiated evidence of ill effects on
health, and their safety confirmed by many peer-reviewed studies
world-wide (4,5). The regulatory system in Australia is designed
to enable unexpected, undesirable effects, such as the
production of toxins or allergens, poor nutritional properties
or serious environmental damage, to be identified during the
laboratory phase or during the several seasons of field trials
that precede commercial production. The Academy supports
labelling of food, in particular where it assists consumers
making deliberate dietary choices; but such labelling must be
scientifically based.
All crop and pasture plants have the potential to impact
negatively on natural or agricultural systems, whether GM or
not. As with any modification of plants, whether by traditional
breeding or through the use of gene technology, the Academy
supports a thorough scientific evaluation of potential
environmental impacts before their commercial release.
Prepared by TJ Higgins (Chair) on behalf of the National
Committee for Plant and Animal Science. Endorsed by Council 6
December 2007.
1. Food and Agriculture Organization (2004). Agricultural
biotechnology: Meeting the needs of the poor? The State of Food
and Agriculture 2003–04.
2. Nuffield Council on Bioethics (1999). Genetically Modified
Crops: the ethical and social issues.
3. James, Clive (2006). Global status of commercialised
biotech/GM crops. International Service for the Acquisition of
Agri-Biotech Applications, Brief No. 35.
4. UK Government GM Science Review Panel (2003).
5. International Council for Science (2003). New genetics, food
and agriculture: Scientific discoveries – social dilemmas. |
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