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October 2, 2003
The Plan has
been released for an eight week consultation period which will
close on 28 November 2003. The Regulator will not make a
decision until comments from this consultation have been taken
into account.
Roundup Ready® canola has been modified to be
tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate, which can then be used to
control weeds while the crop is being grown.
Monsanto’s
Roundup Ready® canola has been previously trialed
under limited and controlled conditions in Australia over a
number of years. The oil from Roundup Ready® canola
(which has DNA and protein removed during processing) has
previously been assessed and approved for human consumption by
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
“The national
gene technology regulatory system is designed to address risks
to human health, safety and the environment that may be posed by
genetically modified organisms. An extensive range of possible
risks including potential for toxicity, allergenicity, increased
environmental competitiveness, and adverse effects from gene
transfer have been thoroughly investigated in developing this
Risk Assessment,” Dr Meek said.
The Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) released
today found that Roundup Ready canola® is as safe to
human health, safety and the environment as conventional
(non-GM) canola.
The effectiveness, low toxicity and minimal persistence of
glyphosate make it an important agricultural chemical. The
Regulator is therefore also interested in the potential impact
of the proposed release on herbicide use.
The RARMP identifies the potential for development of
herbicide-resistant weeds if glyphosate is used inappropriately
and notes that the use of glyphosate on Roundup Ready®
canola will require approval
by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines
Authority (APVMA).
The APVMA considers product efficacy as part of its assessment process
for all herbicide registrations. As an outcome of this process
it may be necessary to implement herbicide resistance management
plans. This potential for development of herbicide resistance
has been comprehensively assessed by the APVMA. The APVMA will
address potential herbicide resistance by placing registration
conditions on the use of Roundup Ready® herbicide.
The Regulator
strongly supports the APVMA imposing appropriate conditions on
the application of Roundup Ready® herbicide to
counteract the risk of increased resistance associated with the
proposed extension of use of glyphosate.
“I welcome comments on this consultation version of the Risk
Assessment and Risk Management Plan relating to the protection
of human health and safety or the environment. Feedback from
the consultation will be very helpful in finalising the Plan,
which will then form the basis of my decision on whether or not
to issue a licence to Monsanto.”
Further
information on the Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan and
the evaluation process is available from the OGTR website at
www.ogtr.gov.au. Comments close on
28 November 2003. |
