A GM case study – building community capital
Paula Fitzgerald
Trade and Strategy
William Farrer
• Born in 1845
• Began studying medicine – moved to Australia at 25 - tutor
at sheep station – qualified as surveyor (Department of
Lands) – moved to a farm – became a wheat
experimentalist with the Department of Agriculture
• Believed the types of wheat grown were unsuitable for
Australian conditions
• In 1882 he began selecting individual plants which showed
superior qualities. This soon included foreign wheats –
relied on overseas correspondence/networks
• Aimed to improve rust resistance and baking quality (focus
on the latter, as well as agronomic, was unique)
• Viewed by some as wasting time on “pocket handkerchief
wheat plots”
• Millers initially resisted …
• “Father of Australian wheat” – for contribution to wheat
quality & yield; but also science.
Global GM statistics - cultivation
• 18 years old
• 170.3 million hectares of GM crops were planted in 2012
•
100-fold increase from 1996 when GM crops were first commercialised
•
28 countries grew GM crops in 2012 – 20 developing countries and 8
industrial.
•
17.3 million farmers grew GM crops in 2012. Over 90% of these, or 15
million farmers, are in resource-poor countries.
•
Five EU countries (Spain, Portugal, Czechia, Slovakia and Romania)
planted GM insect resistant corn.
Global GM situation - 2012
Country
Area*
Crops
1
USA
69.5
Corn, soybean, cotton, canola, sugarbeet, alfalfa
(lucerne), papaya, squash
2
Brazil
36.6
Soybean, corn, cotton
3
Argentina
23.9
Soybean, corn, cotton
4
Canada
11.6
Canola, corn, soybean, sugarbeet
5
India
10.8
Cotton
6
China
4.0
Cotton, papaya, poplar, tomato, sweet pepper
7
Paraguay
3.4
Soybean, corn, cotton
8
South Africa
2.9
Corn, soybean, cotton
9
Pakistan
2.8
Cotton
10
Uruguay
1.4
Soybean, corn
11
Bolivia
1.0
Soybean
12
Philippines
0.8
Corn
13
Australia
0.7
Cotton, canola (and carnations)
* Million hectares
GM crops under development in Australia
Most commodities in Australia have GM investments. The OGTR has granted
licences for field trials of GM:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Banana
Barley
Canola
Cotton
Lupins
Pineapple
Safflower
Sugarcane
Ryegrass
Wheat
White clover
• (carnations)
Most advanced Australian R&D
Entity
Licence
Crop
Details
Vic DPI
DIR 89
(2008)
White clover
AMV resistant
Vic DPI
DIR 82
(2007)
Ryegrass & tall
fescue
Improved forage qualities
Vic DPI
DIR 47
(2003)
White clover
AMV resistant
Entity
Licence
Crop
Details
BSES
DIR 96
(2009)
Sugarcane
Herbicide tolerance
BSES
DIR 95
(2009)
Sugarcane
Altered plant growth, enhanced drought tolerance, enhanced nitrogen use
efficiency, altered sucrose accumulation, and improved cellulosic ethanol
production from sugarcane biomass
UQ
DIR 78
(2008)
Sugarcane
Altered sugar production
BSES
DIR 70
(2007)
Sugarcane
Altered plant architecture, enhanced water or improved nitrogen use
efficiency
UQ
DIR 51
(2005)
Sugarcane
Expressing sucrose isomerase
Most advanced Australian R&D
Entity
Licence
Crop
Details
Vic DEPI
DIR 122 (2013)
Wheat
Abiotic stress tolerance, yield
CSIRO
DIR 117 (2012)
Wheat & barley
Wheat - altered grain composition, enhanced nutrient utilisation
efficiency
Barley - enhanced nutrient utilisation efficiency
CSIRO
DIR 112 (2012)
Wheat & barley
Altered grain composition and nutrient utilisation efficiency
CSIRO
DIR 111 (2012)
Wheat & barley
Altered grain composition, nutrient utilisation efficiency, disease
resistance or stress tolerance
Adelaide
University
DIR 102 (2010)
Wheat & barley
Enhanced nutrient utilization & abiotic stress tolerance
CSIRO
DIR 99 (2010)
Wheat & barley
Growth & yield characteristics
CSIRO
DIR 94 (2009)
Wheat & barley
Enhanced nutrient efficiency
CSIRO
DIR 93 (2009)
Wheat & barley
Altered starch
CSIRO
DIR 92 (2009)
Wheat
Altered grain
Vic DPI
DIR 80 (2008)
Wheat
Modified for drought tolerance
Adelaide
University
DIR 77 (2008)
Wheat & barley
Enhanced tolerance to environmental stress or increased dietary fibre
GM ryegrass?
• What? High energy (high fructan) ryegrass
• How? Two additional ryegrass genes have been added – storage of sugar in
the leaf and the stem
• It is different to other ‘high sugar’ grasses as it has a higher energy content
without any yield penalties.
• Should allow for a reduction in other energy sources (wheat, barley)
• So what? Modelling suggests $300 per hectare per year – equating to at
peak use (of 70%) $196 million annual benefit
What do our consumers think?
•
Males, younger people and those who live in capital cities are more likely to
accept GM foods.
•
People are more supportive of GM foods that have health outcomes or are
cheaper, and find lasting longer or tasting better only a minor benefit.
•
Support for GM foods and crops has remained fairly consistent over the
past few years, with about 60 per cent of the population willing to eat most
GM foods and about 25 per cent not willing. However this figure changes
depending on the type of food being modified, whether there are benefits to
the consumer and perception of effective regulation.
•
Australian concerns about GM foods are not top of mind.
GM opponents – celebrities, costumes, chaos!
Farm business fitness
•
•
•
•
•
Management capability and tactical flexibility
Cost control
Efficient utilisation of home grown feed
High levels of labour efficiency
Business structure – debt related to production costs
Potential challenges
•
•
•
•
•
GM crops/GM pasture
Water
Animal welfare
Sustainable land use/practices
Healthiness of our product
What is “community capital”?
“Social licence”
People
Transparent
Connectedness –
dialogue
Building
relationships
through
strategic
engagement
Local and global
family,
neighbours,
community,
governments
TRUST
Listening Freedom to Operate
Aussie kids - 2000
What kids know about agriculture:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
58% of city children didn’t know that cotton comes
from a plant
Almost half the children surveyed didn’t know that
pasta comes from wheat
81% of children didn’t know that leather products
come from cattle
50% of city kids think farmers never use computers
or fax machines
Almost one in every three city children are completely
unsure about why farmers use pesticides
Source: Kondinin Group
Aussie kids – 2011
Understanding of agriculture:
1. 75% of year 6 students thought cotton socks were an animal
product
2. 45% could not identify that everyday lunchbox items originated
from a farm – bananas, bread and cheese
3. 40% of year 10 students believe farming damages the
environment
4. 28% of year 10 students thought natural fibres only came from
plants
5. Only 57% of students linked scientific research to farming
6. Only 45% of students linked innovation to farming
Source: Primary Industries Education Foundation
UK Kids ...
“The white bread is
“A
lemon
is
from
“Rhubarb
is
like
carrots,
it’s
made
with
milk
Birmingham
andeat.
it grows
what kangaroos
in
thethe
ground
that’s
and
brown
Sometimes
theyand
grow
on a
kiwi
grows seeds”
in the ground
treesitwithout
bread
is
made
with
and it’s from Jamaica”
wheat”
Having profile
Profile?
Peter Waterhouse - 2002 the Victor Chang Medal;
2003 The Bulletin's 'Top Ten Smartest Scientists in
Australia’; 2005 CSIRO Chairman's Medal; 2007
Prime Minister’s Prize for Science. Key area of
work: gene silencing – plants (viruses/plant
health), animals and medicine
The
GM
DAIRY
story
PLANT CELL
DNA carrying new gene with plant chromosome
REWARDED FARMER
PLANT WITH NEW TRAIT
More sugar/ higher energy
MORE MILK
Milk is milk!
Five essential elements for
community support:
• Developed by a
trustworthy public
agency
• Includes a gene from the
same species
• Has a consumer benefit
• Is labelled or
differentiated
• Has strong evidence of
safety/regulation
REGULATORY SCRUTINY AND
APPROVALS
HAPPY COW EATS
‘HIGH ENERGY’ PASTURE
MILK ON SHELVES
Global grassroots support
Aussie GM canola support
Grains
Council of
Australia
Flour
Millers’
Council of
Australia
Build dairy community capital?
Our story …
• Australian dairy is a $13 billion farm, manufacturing and export
industry.
• Australia’s 6700 dairy farmers produce around 9.5 billion litres of
milk a year.
• The Australian dairy industry directly employs 43,000 Australians on
farms and in factories, while more than 100,000 Australians are
indirectly employed in related service industries.
• Australia is the fourth largest dairy exporter in the world, accounting
for 7% of global trade.
• Australia would save $2 billion a year in healthcare costs if every
Australian consumed the minimum recommended daily dairy intake.
• Dairy farmers are environmental caretakers. The industry has a
strong record of continuous improvement in water and energy
efficiency, and protecting soils and biodiversity.
Further information
Paula Fitzgerald
Manager Biotechnology & Strategic Initiatives
Dairy Australia
Tel: 03 9694 3775
Email: pfitzgerald@dairyaustralia.com.au
A national approach?
The Federal Regulator – the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) –
oversees human health and safety, and safety of the environment in relation to GM
products, while State Governments make decisions on ‘market and trade’ grounds.
NT: OGTR legislation only
WA: Moratorium on all GM
crops. GM cotton (in the Ord)
& canola grown by exemption
QLD: OGTR legislation only. GM cotton grown
NSW: Moratorium on commercial cultivation of
GM food crops. ‘System’ for agriculture minister
to grant approval. GM cotton & canola grown
SA: Moratorium on commercial cultivation of GM
food crops until 2019
ACT: Moratorium on commercial
cultivation of all GM crops until 2006+
Vic: OGTR legislation only. GM canola grown
Tas: Moratorium on commercial cultivation
of all GM crops. (Government has just
announced indefinite extension)
Market choice (GM canola model)
29 supply chain organisations endorsed GM canola commercialisation as a
result of the following:
Step
Action
1
Australian regulatory approval gained for GM varieties
2
Market requirements identified
-Need for segregation to meet the various requirements
of domestic and international consumers
3
Threshold levels established
-Australian AP thresholds established for the presence of GM traits in
canola at 0.5% for seed(Australian Seed Federation) and 0.9% for grain
(NACMA CSO1 Canola standard)
-AP thresholds established in key trading partners, such as Japan (5%)
and Europe (0.9%), for contractual or labelling purposes
4
Importing market approvals in place
-GM varieties have approvals in key importing
countries
5
Supply chain processes to meet market requirements
-Protocols available to segregate throughout the supply
chain
Status