We have the right as consumers to know what we are eating or going to buy. There may be people out there who support GM, for varying reasons; but at the end of the day, those who don't support still need to know the true ingrediants (GM or non GM).

Not really no. I think genetically improved crops are a necessary product if we are unable and unwilling to face the world over population issue.

Besides most genetically modified plants require that the farmer buy new seed each growing season creating a pattern of debt to big agriculture

Monsanto licensed seed requires five different Monsanto products to get the crop to the harvest stage. But then, farmers find that as they have traditionally kept part of their crop as seed stock for the following year, see the results of the "Terminator Gene" which has been added to the seeds, thus they are sterile and won't germinate. The farmer then has to buy seed from Monsanto again that year and the cycle continues. Monsanto et al aim to own the world's food.

Neil Davie · 9 months ago

Very true - I hate to put it so simplistically, but monsanto are evil (in the way they operate - I don't mean Satan is running the company...) (google 'monsanto evil', positive bias I know). They represent one of the worst possible outcomes of poorly-regulated capitalism.

Jake Urlus · 9 months ago

... Also, I personally believe that the destruction of the world's rainforests for palm oil, soybeans, cattle and woodchips is a far more pressing dietary concern.

I'm no supporter of Monsanto and Bayer, but to play devil's advocate - aren't all foods we eat genetically modified in some ways ? While I try to buy heirloom seeds for my garden, all the fruit, vegetables and animals we eat have been selectively bred over the last few hundred years for optimal appearance, hardiness and taste - a form of genetic modification. Also, with climate change and human population growth, GM may be one component in future food security.

Cross pollinisation which over the centuries has resulted in most of the vegetables and fruit we consume today, bears no resemblance to gene splicing techniques and chemical alteration of the genomes. e.g. Monsanto's "Roundup Ready Canola" allows the crop to be sprayed with 100 times the amount of Glyphosate ( Roundup ) that would ordinarily kill the crop. So the weeds are killed, but not the Canola. This Glyphosate is taken up by the plant and ends up in the food you are eating. Same with Soya Beans, the presence of which is in thousands of grocery items in our supermarkets. Do you really want to be feeding massive amounts of herbicide to your family?

Neil Davie · 9 months ago

PLEASE we live in Australia, so quoting USA or European data and reports is getting tiresum. Have you not heard of the Australian Gene Regulator. Find them and tell them they dont know what there doing.

Yes we should have to right to know and to choose what we want to buy

It's time for governments to listen to the majority rather than pandering to the powerful organisations with vested financial interests.

You don't know the half of it. the C.S.I.R.O. is virtually governed by Monsanto, who fund GM research and propagation to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. The so called scientists and researchers employed with this money know, the the first criticism of Monsanto or it's products will result in those funds being withdrawn and their cushy jobs and research grants will disappear.

GM foods are not necessarily an evil in themselves but our knowledge of how they behave is imperfect and they are knowingly being implemented in the face of potentially disastrous negative aspects. What happened to responsible oversight and due scientific caution? If we cannot use this technology responsibly we should not be using it at all.