Western Australia
November 19, 2015

Legislation that would make it easier to grow genetically modified (GM) crops would provide certainty to farmers and lead to innovation and efficiencies, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCI) said today.

CCI Chief Executive Officer Deidre Willmott said the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act 2003 should be repealed because it had outlived its usefulness.

“Western Australian farmers have been successfully growing GM canola for five years with farmers reporting higher yields and economic returns,” Ms Willmott said.

“A wider variety of GM crops is being developed and the demand from consumers is expected to increase as Asia’s middle class grows and diets change. 

“If innovation and investment are encouraged, agriculture can play an important role in the diversification and growth of the WA economy with GM crops and conventional farming working side by side.

“The current legislation is creating uncertainty in the industry about the future which is undermining the business case for research and development in that area.”

All GM organisms imported or grown in Australia are regulated nationally and licensed as safe for people and the environment.