Pyrmont Village » Blog

WA Minister Redman’s GM silence

2012-01-17T10:27:14Z

Image from PerthNow

By Sheshtyn de Souza

While Australians have been preoccupied with the cricket and what Elle Macpherson was wearing at this week’s Golden Globes, a more subtle (and arguably less attractive) debate has surfaced once again regarding genetically modified foods. With a Farmer Protection Bill to be introduced by the Greens early this year, Pyrmont Village contacted several politicians to ask them their views on genetically modified (GM) contamination and how they plan to protect Australian farmers and consumers from this threat. We did this as a follow-up to our story on WA farmer, Steve Marsh, who lost his organic status due to GM contamination in 2010. In the past few months we contacted several politicians, asking their views on genetically modified foods and contamination cases such as WA farmer Steve Marsh. We also asked the Greens to discuss their plan to introduce a Farmer Protection Bill, and what this means for GM and non-GM farmers.

While NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham and WA Greens MP Lynn MacLaren were very obliging in answering our questions, WA Agricultural Minister Terry Redman declined to respond. Minister Redman is responsible for the WA government’s partnership with Monsanto through the crop breeding company InterGrain, and the increased production of GM wheat crops in that state. The email response from Minister Redman’s office is pasted below for your benefit, as are our full interviews with Minister Buckingham and Minister MacLaren. Pyrmont Village also contacted Monsanto’s Corporate Affairs Lead Keryn Mclean to ask about Monsanto’s position on GM contamination; she did not return our calls or email.

The following is the list of questions Pyrmont Village sent to Minister Redman (we thought they were pretty reasonable).

1) What do you think of WA farmer Steve Marsh’s situation, regarding the contamination of his organic farm?
2) How do you plan to protect non-GM WA farmers from GM contamination?
3) How do you plan to protect the rights of Australians who wish to eat non-GM food, considering the risks of contamination?
4) What is your opinion of the Farmer Protection Bill the Greens are planning to introduce to Parliament early next year?
5) Can you outline the tests that have been completed to ascertain the safety of genetic modification, and their conclusions?
6) Can you explain how links between Monsanto and your branch of government, creating a conflict of interest between big business and Australian citizens, is a fair partnership?

And this was Minister Redman’s response:

Minister.Redman@dpc.wa.gov.au

Hon. Terry Redman MLA, Minister for Agriculture and Food; Forestry; Corrective Services

Dear Sheshtyn

Thank you for your email, dated 1 December 2011.

Please be advised the Minister does not wish to respond.

Kind regards

Office of the Minister for Agriculture and Food

So there you have it; Minister Redman has no interest in answering questions regarding his responsibility to his constituents or any role he has played regarding Steve Marsh and genetically-modified foods in WA. The following two interviews are with NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham and WA Greens MP Lynn MacLaren.

Jeremy Buckingham MLC, Greens NSW MP

Firstly, what do you personally think about Steve Marsh’s situation and the contamination of his farm?

I think it’s an outrageous situation that the liability does not lie with those who have caused the contamination. That’s why I will be introducing a bill into NSW Parliament called the Farmer Protection Bill that seeks to establish a fund. It will be funded by GM industries and people who are looking to grow GM crops. The fund will cover the cost of any liability or loss of market caused by GM contamination.

Do you think that the blame lies with the contaminating farmer or the company providing the seeds or with the government itself for not providing any legislation to protect the farmer?

I think that the blame lies first and foremost with the government. It’s their responsibility to regulate industry, and there is no proper regulatory regime that’s going to deal with contamination in broad acre crops in NSW. Secondly, the liability lies with the GM companies – it’s their product, they’re marketing it, and if it is contaminating non-GM farmers, the liability should rest with them.

What do you think is going to be the outcome of the Farmer Protection Bill and the fund is introduced, do you think that it is the most effective way of preventing contamination?

No, it’s not the most effective way of preventing contamination. The most effective way of preventing contamination is to not allow GM crops into the system in the first place. The Greens are opposed to these GM food crops, but if the government sees them as fit, they have to have a regulatory regime that protects non-GM farmers from the costs associated with running potentially a court case, and the cost for them if they lose their non-GM or organic status because of contamination.

So you think this fund will be a good incentive? Does that mean the GM farmer will be much more careful because of the costs if he does contaminate another farmer’s land?

There will be a cost. The levy will be paid by all GM farmers, they will be paying into that fund, and that certainly will put out an incentive for GM farmers and people who are handling GM grains to be far more careful with their product.

Regarding the whole issue surrounding GM, what do you think the future of GM looks like at the moment?

There’s a massive growth in GM broad acre grains across the globe. Australia has now gone down the path of GM wheat and there are trials underway. I think this is a major issue in NSW where we’ve already got GM canola, but we as a society really have to make a decision as to whether or not we want to allow GM wheat into our agricultural system. So there’s a big debate to be had, but at least recognizing the cost of contamination is the first bit, that’s what the bill does.

What do you think about the latest news that Nicola Roxon ruled against having proper labeling of GM products, saying it doesn’t need to be done because there are already strict rules in place ensuring all food is already tested as safe before it arrives in the supermarket? What do you think about proper labeling of GM products on supermarket shelves in NSW?

Food labeling when it comes to GM is woefully inadequate. There aren’t requirements for things to be declared as having GM content, and that’s woefully inadequate. More information for consumers is always good. We’ve always had concerns that the food safety standards and the testing in terms of health impact of GM have been inadequate. We don’t think that there’s been the rigorous testing that consumers and the society demand, and therefore we believe that those people who don’t want to eat GM food should have the opportunity to know what is and isn’t GM.

What can people do to change the lack of labeling, because it seems that no matter what kind of standards bodies advise that proper labeling of GM should be done, the ministers rule against it anyway, and this seems to be a trend all across Australia?

People can vote with their wallets. They can decide to buy local, buy green, buy organic. They can buy from producers who choose to label their products voluntarily as GM free. There are producers who do that – the organics industry – and they’re a mass growth sector in the economy and in agriculture. So people should vote with their wallets and use their consumer power to choose non-GM goods.

Hon. Lynn MacLaren MLC, Greens WA MP

What do you think about Steve Marsh’s situation, regarding the contamination of his farm?

What has happened to Steve Marsh is a real tragedy and demonstrates why the WA Government should never have allowed the introduction of GM canola without adequate protections in place for farmers.

What other effects have occurred following the introduction of GM on WA farmers?

Since the introduction of GM canola we have seen a premium of up to $50 per tonne develop for non-GM canola. In the last few years over 90 per cent of our canola has gone to Europe – a market with no tolerance for GM. Because of the contamination risk posed, the Minister for Agriculture and Food Terry Redman is jeopardising these markets by allowing GM canola to be grown.

What are some ways the current WA government could improve to protect the rights of farmers & consumers?

The Government needs to support Farmer Protection legislation to protect non-GM farmers from economic losses caused by GM contamination.

What do you think about the partnership between Monsanto and the WA government, particularly through InterGrain?

The CEO of Intergrain Bryan Whan has already admitted publicly that InterGrain will now be focusing on the development of GM rather than conventional crops. This is not in the best interests of either farmers or consumers.

What do you think about Terry Redman’s response to contamination, that what is considered ‘organic’ is too stringent and should be more flexible?

It’s appalling that Terry Redman is attempting to water down the organic standards because of a contamination problem that he has created. It also demonstrates what we have long suspected, that he doesn’t appreciate the organics industry. If GM contamination cannot be controlled GM crops should not be released.

Finally, what do you think is in the future for GM in Australia?

I think there is quite frankly no future for GM crops in Australia. Consumers don’t want them and the purported benefits such as drought and salt tolerance are more easily developed using other methods. The sole beneficiaries of GM crops are the GM crop companies who stand to make millions due to the patents associated with GM crops.

Allan Joyce and Qantas : CEO Behaving Badly !

2011-10-29T07:35:26Z

Allan Joyce the CEO of Qantas has just announced that he is grounding the airline. What a terrible decision to take, given that he is in the midst of negotiations with the unions over the future of this once proud airline. If I and the rest of the travelling public thought that the Qantas brand was troubled, this shambolic move, has just about guaranteed that the Qantas brand is now on life support.

From a national security and national interest standpoint, it is simply unacceptable that someone let alone the CEO of a national airline should be allowed to take such a move which is going to have monumental implications for a ton of related industries starting with tourism.

This must not be allowed to stand. Julia Gillard and the federal Labor government must step up to the plate and use whatever legislative frameworks already in place to rescind this decision. No one should be allowed to hold the travelling public and indeed commerce in Australia to ransom in such a cavalier fashion.

This really is Julia Gillard’s chance to shine as a leader. How she reacts and the decisions she makes here will either make her as a leader or completely damn her. Lets hope for the country’s sake its the former.

The Fight for Organic

2011-10-18T10:39:15Z

Image by Marie Nirme

By Sheshtyn de Souza

A Western Australian farmer is getting ready for the battle of a lifetime. Steve Marsh is a soft-spoken organic farmer from Kojonup, a town located 250km south east of Perth. Marsh talks to me over the phone in timid, diminutive tones, and despite being quite talkative about his situation, he trails off to almost a whisper several times as though wearied by discussing such a great burden.

Marsh is taking his neighbour to court after 70% of his property was contaminated by Roundup Ready canola, a genetically

Photo Courtesy of Farm Weekly, Rural Press

modified (GM) seed created by the US-based farming giant Monsanto. The patented seed has been modified to withstand the toxic effects of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. Farmers have been purchasing the potent herbicide and its accompanying GM seed as a “weed control system”. Marsh’s land was contaminated in December last year after his neighbour’s GM canola spread down the hill to Marsh’s farm, carried by wind and a minor flood.

What were the costs?

The National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA) decertified Marsh’s farm after having organic status for eight years, with 325 hectares of his land being contaminated by the GM canola plants. This means Marsh can no longer sell his wheat, oats, rye, spelt or even his lambs as organic. This is a significant financial blow for Marsh because organic and non-GM products fetch a higher price than GM products. Non-GM canola currently fetches a premium of up to $50 per tonne more than the GM product.

“Under the NASAA organic certification, there’s a zero tolerance for GM product, and I can’t use seed contaminated with GM and so on,” Marsh says. “What we’ve proven here is that GM seed can’t be controlled and contained by the GM farmer, hence it has crossed by wind into my property on a pretty large scale. What do we do? That land’s contaminated for how long? You know, it could be many years.”

Canola field, picture by Gene Ethics

GM canola seed can germinate on contaminated land for up to 16 years. Marsh is planning to claim compensation for the financial loss associated with the contamination, and the resultant clean-up costs.

“Organic certification is not something you obtain easily, and it’s not something you maintain easily. It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of effort, and it’s a lot of discipline,” says Bob Mackley, a conventional farmer from Western Australia whose land was also contaminated by GM seeds early this year. “One jackass neighbour has put that whole show at risk and appears to think, ‘Well, that’s fine. I’m allowed to do what I jolly well like’. And the West Australian Minister for Agriculture says, ‘Oh yes, everyone has to move aside to make room for GM’.”

The government’s response

WA’s Agriculture Minister Terry Redman has proven to be no friend of Marsh’s or the organic and conventional farming industries. Redman wrote a letter to Marsh in October urging the NASAA to be flexible, calling the food purity standards expected by the certifying body “unrealistic”.

“The European Union recently adopted a threshold of 0.9 per cent unintentional presence of approved GM material in organic products. This decision acknowledges that zero per cent thresholds are unrealistic in biological systems,” Redman wrote to Marsh last October.

A Monsanto spokeswoman agreed with Redman, proposing the solution to Marsh’s problem was for the NASAA to relax its zero tolerance policy.

“Having a couple of canola plants blow into a farm should not be affecting its organic wheat status,” she told The Australian in December.

Marsh says he is “very disappointed” with Redman’s response to his situation. “There’s clearly no legislation, as I understand, in protecting any non-GM farmer,” he says. “I’d like to ask Terry Redman, what happened to my choice? You’ve given the GM farmer the choice. Well, I want the same choice to remain GM-free.”

Australian government’s partnership with Monsanto

In an insidious twist, there is a distinct partnership between Monsanto and Australian state governments. After helping lift the GM farming ban in Western Australia in 2010 (the ban was lifted in NSW and Victoria in 2008), Redman has been working with Monsanto as a business partner. Last year, Monsanto purchased a 19.9% share in InterGrain, a crop breeding company of which the Western Australian State Government is a majority shareholder. InterGrain is now in charge of Western Australia’s wheat breeding program, GM wheat being their joint research priority.

“When [Redman] announced the lifting of the ban, Monsanto’s representative was with him on the podium. You can’t get more in bed than that really,” says Bob Phelps, director of the Melbourne-based activist group Gene Ethics. “Our governments have public/private partnerships with GM companies, so they’re in bed with each other. The premier and the government of Victoria and also the government of QLD are members of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, which is based in Washington D.C. to promote American corporate interests abroad.

We’ve argued strenuously that they should divest themselves of that connection, but at the moment there are still four [Australian state government] members of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.”

Marsh also said the government had ignored his concerns about GM contamination. “I personally went to see Terry Redman before they approved GM; I’ve seen the Department of Agriculture and I’ve seen various ministers, but it all fell on deaf ears,” says Marsh.

A contamination strategy?

One wonders whether contamination is all a part of Monsanto’s plan. Marsh’s neighbour allegedly left the legal five-metre buffer between his GM crops and Marsh’s land. However, neither the government nor Monsanto seems to care that GM product is easily spread, especially after being windrowed (cut from the root).

“The assurances that contamination can be controlled are nonsense,” says Mackley. “It’s been shown many times that they are unable to control where these genes ultimately end up. So I think to say that we can stop GM contamination is just a joke. We need to say that GM canola may not be windrowed, because that makes it far more likely to get washed because it’s dry and light and it’s detached from its roots. And we also need to GM industry to have a mechanism to compensate those non-GM growers who are affected by their product.”

“Contamination is in Monsanto’s interests,” says Phelps. “That’s why it happens, so that there is no going back, so that you take away shoppers’ choice. And of course this is all done under the guise of giving the farmers choice, which is a load of rubbish. By allowing GM canola to be grown, of course the choice of every other farmer to be non-GM or GM-free has essentially been snuffed out.”

What anti-GM campaigners want is for Australian state governments to pass Farmer Protection Laws to compensate the victims of contamination. Since there are no legal precedents surrounding GM contamination in Australia, Marsh’s case will be a groundbreaking decider on the rights of farmers to keep their land GM-free. “It could set a lot of precedents,” says Marsh, “if it’s successful.”

The battle ahead

Marsh has retained Slater & Gordon Lawyers, the Australian law firm known for representing asbestos victims, with the intention to lodge a writ against the offending neighbour. In the meantime, Marsh urges Australians to lobby their government ministers and representatives.

“A lot of people don’t realise this yet, but it’s our food for god’s sake, it’s going to affect every one of us,” says Marsh.

He also says we should demand the right to have food properly labeled from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and to lobby the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, so people “can make an informed decision if they want to avoid eating GM. But there’s been a lot of resistance by the GM industry not to have full disclosure.”

The Pastoralists and Graziers Association of Western Australia is funding the offending neighbour’s legal costs, and Monsanto has stated its support for him. Conversely, the NASAA has set up a benefit “fighting fund” for Marsh to help him pay for the legal battle ahead.

If you would like to know more, or are interested in helping out or spreading the word, contact sheshtyn@live.com. To speak directly to the NASAA, contact David Kibble at mail@nasaa-wa.com.au, or Gene Ethics’ director Bob Phelps at info@geneethics.org.

Affordable Fast Broadband for all is a Great Thing – NBN

2010-11-26T10:52:35Z

I was initially against the NBN, primarily because of the fact that the infrastructure that came with it, could have been used to enable Senator Conroy’s Orwellian Internet Censorship agenda. However after giving the matter more consideration, I feel that the NBN, could really revolutionise the way we communicate and do business in this country. For people in the bush, access to true broadband would be an amazing feat.

However with Bob Brown, and the Greens to shortly hold the balance of power in the senate, I feel for now that Senator Conroy’s silly regressive agenda can be led to rest. He is a worry though and a poster child for all that is wrong with the modern day labor party. For we are led to believe that he comes from the left of that party. Us normal folk are thinking, if he is from the left in the labor party, what moral compass is the labor party using these days????

The other worry also is the opportunity cost. I guess the question that needs to be answered and rather quickly is will other vital projects like hospital upgrades, etc be delayed or moth balled?.

And finally the question of cost for the end consumer, will folk that are struggling really be able to pay for this? If the federal government can come up with a comprehensive package that sorts out eventual cost for the less well off, like folk on welfare benefits that allow them to easily join the global online community, that will be in itself quite laudable.

Children Released from Detention Centres : Great Start

2010-10-18T11:58:51Z

I am exceedingly heartened to hear that the Federal government has discovered a spine and decided to release hundreds of children and vulnerable family groups from immigration detention. This is a solid start. We can build on this. The Immigration Minister says they’ll be moved gradually into community-based accommodation over the next nine months.

Chris Bowen, this is a great start, and we expect more courageous things from you.

Freedom Flotilla with Supplies for Gaza

2010-05-30T07:36:20Z

Five ships carrying hundreds of activists set off on the last leg of a mission to deliver tonnes of aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip early on Sunday, a legal adviser to the Free Gaza Movement told AFP.

“Five ships left Cypriot waters this morning at around 5:00 am (0200 GMT),” Audrey Bomse said, adding that the fleet would arrive in Gaza territorial waters some time after 4:00 pm (1300 GMT).

Bomse said two vessels which had been due to set sail with the so-called “Freedom Flotilla” had remained in port after sustaining damaged over the weekend, in a move which the convoy’s organisers claimed was “sabotage.”

“Now we are thinking of sending a second wave of boats including these two and the Rachel Corrie, which is still en route” from Ireland, she said.

The second convoy would probably set off around Tuesday, Bomse said.

The flotilla of cargo and passenger ships, which is carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid for Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, had been due to reach Gaza on Saturday.

But its departure was delayed because of technical problems affecting two of the vessels.

Israel has slammed as “illegal” the convoy’s attempt to break its blockade on Gaza, and has naval forces at the ready to intercept the ships and detain the pro-Palestinian activists on board, who number more than 700.

http://www.freegaza.org/

Tim Flannery Talks to Pyrmont about Clean Coal

2008-10-22T05:12:11Z

Tim Flannery is an amazingly talented Australian, a respected scientist, best selling author, and environmental activist all rolled into one. I have always wanted to read The Weather Makers, however, for some reason or other have not managed to get around to it. Finally last Monday night I got the chance to hear Tim Flannery speak in the flesh. It was after all just a tiny trot down the road to the Seymour Centre. There were roughly a bit over a thousand good Sydney folk there…maybe even a tad more..was not really paying attention.

One of the brilliant things about this great global city of ours is its growing and fascinating relationship with Ideas, which if slowly nurtured and cultivated, will surely morph Sydney into the Ideas Capital of the Asia Pacific Region. It is a given that when Great Ideas and Visionary Leadership are combined, civilisations are propelled forward into spheres of Greatness. Anyway enough of me dreaming, back to Tim’s Talk.

He started with an overview of the report benchmarks set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) . The IPCC, was/is a scientific body set up by the UN tasked to evaluate the risk of climate change caused by human activity.

The stated aims of the IPCC is to assess scientific information relevant to:

human-induced climate change,
the impacts of human-induced climate change,
options for adaptation and mitigation.

Some critics have contended that the IPCC reports tend to underestimate dangers and understate risks. Well according to Tim, this was very much the case. The scenarios and projections he outlined were rather frightening, from rising sea levels, to the acceleration in the build up of Co2 in the atmosphere, to melting ice in the Arctic. One was left in no doubt as to the urgency and leadership that is needed to turn matters around.

What I did find of interest, among the many interesting ruminations that Tim ventured into, was his quiet advocacy on behalf of Clean Coal and its associated technologies. He discussed this in the context of green house mitigation and climate change. There was, I thought, a certain sense of pragmatism to this approach, in that we as a country rely heavily on extractive industries to get by, and indeed it is these very industries that are now helping us weather the financial typhoon that is presently engulfing North America.

It most certainly is a pragmatic path no doubt, however, what was again of interest were the vast sums of money which are needed to be invested in order to find a working solution in this area of clean coal technology. Which begs the question, would a similar amount of finite funds invested elsewhere in say solar, wave or wind technology research bring about better returns on investment?

Pyrmont Events: Food for the Future Fair in Chippendale

2008-09-17T04:18:07Z

The Food for the Future Fair has been initiated to link consumers with local producers to improve the freshness of food and save on fuel costs. Take an enjoyable stroll or bike ride from Pyrmont to this event in Chippendale, and help support sustainable communities – and of course join in the fun!

At the Fair, you can indulge in fresh, home grown food. Buy direct from producers and farmers in the Hawkesbury Basin who will be there on the day, including fresh fruit and vegetables and ready-to-eat delicacies.

While you are there help to plant food trees along the nature strips, enjoy live music, green demonstrations as well as games and prizes.

When: Saturday, 11 October 2008
Where: Peace Park, Myrtle Street and Pine Street, Chippendale, Sydney
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Further information: www.foodforthefuturefair.org

ps. Don’t Forget our very own Farmers Markets in Pyrmont, are on the first Saturday of the month.

5 Tips for a Greener Pyrmont Doggie

2008-09-04T08:40:52Z

For those of you Pyrmont residents who have a doggie that forms a special part of your family, it is important to think about how you can reduce the carbon footprint of your four-legged furry friend.

Here are some suggestions, some of which have been provided by our friends at Alternative Consumer:

Bag your doggie’s waste in biodegradable poop bags and dispose of it in your household waste bin, in designated bins found in dog-friendly parks or whenever possible flush it down your own toilet. Use newspaper or other biodegradable material, if you don’t have a green disposal container, to scoop-up the ’poop’.
Buy your furry friend organic food and treats or cook healthy home-made dishes for them (some veggies, rice and a little meat) from locally grown produce. A healthy pet may also save you costly vet bills at a later date.
Purchase eco-friendly products such as hemp collars and leads, which are not only biodegradable but also naturally hypo-allergenic. Pick a dog bed which is made from recycled products with organic cotton, organic wool or hemp and is hypo-allergenic. This is particularly good for dogs with more sensitive skin and can help with with skin rashes and allergies.
Coming into Summer it is important to think about how to control fleas, ticks and more regularly bathing. Use the least toxic flea and tick products and avoid hanging a toxic collar around your pet’s neck. Use natural flea and tick products, or consider creating your own flea spray from lemon juice and water. Use natural pet shampoos, which do not contain nasty chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfates (SLS), propylene glycol and parabens.
Before you buy a toy and other goodies for your furry mate, evaluate the “cradle to grave” impact of the product on the environment. Select toys made from organic, recycled or natural materials – and also think about the packaging.

And remember if you are looking to purchase a man’s best friend, consider places like the RSPCA before looking at other options. Not only can you give your friend a second chance in a new home – you could even say that you have a recycled doggie!!!

Local Exchange Trading Scheme – Check it Out Pyrmont Village

2009-05-22T09:17:02Z

I discovered this fabulous organisation recently and thought it was definitely worth a mention to the many talented and community-minded people in Pyrmont. It is called Local Exchange Trading Scheme (LETS) and essentially it is the exchange of goods and services that you can provide for those that you are in need of. For example, if I am a marketing specialist in dire need of a massage and there is a massage therapist who needs help with promoting their business, we exchange. So I provide one hour of marketing advice in exchange of a one hour massage.

All in all, it makes for a wonderfully sustainable community. And you don’t even need to make any cash payments. It is a non-profit system that exchanges offers and wants. The currency is Operas. It is 10 Operas to join and it is suggested that you charge 20 Operas per hour. Once members complete each transaction individually (this can be done online) or via Trade Days, the Operas are transferred.

There are 158 members in Sydney and over 9500 Operas have been traded in 2008 already.

There are stacks of new offers available including sewing, cooking, event management, career coaching, reiki, dog minding, waterfront facilities, aromatherapy, secretarial services, gluten free cooking, child care, secretarial services and much more!

To find out more about LETS and to become a member click here.

I have signed up and will be attending the next LETS Trading Day on Sunday, 24 August.