GMO Updates
Bob Phelps Gene Ethics Dr John Paull & Dr Benjamin Hennig
MOST (85 per cent) of the global genetically modified organism (GMO) agriculture is accounted for by just four countries in North and South America. The ‘big four’ of the GM world are USA (with 40 per cent of the global GMO hectares), followed by Brazil (26 per cent), Argentina (12 per cent) and Canada (seven per cent).
The latest global figures report that the world total of GMO agriculture is 189.8 million hectares from a total of 24 countries (ISAAA, 2018). The number of countries planting GMOs peaked in 2010, at 29 countries (ISAAA, 2010), and has been progressively declining year by year since then. Most countries (88 per cent) have no GMO hectares.
Australia is just a vestigial presence on the map of World GMO Agriculture. Of the global total hectares of GMO agriculture, Australia accounts for 774,000 hectares, comprising 492,000 ha of GM canola and 282,000 ha of GM cotton (ABCA, 2019; Cotton Australia, 2019). Australia’s share of global GMO hectares is 0.4 per cent and is declining. Australia’s GMO agriculture accounts for 0.2 per cent of Australia’s total agriculture hectares (ABS, 2018).
The ‘big four’
The map of World GMO Agriculture is dominated by North and South America. Asia has a modest presence, led by India (cotton), Pakistan (cotton) and China (cotton, papaya). Africa has a diminutive presence led by South Africa (corn, soy, cotton).
Just four GMO crops account for almost all (more than 99 per cent) of GMO agriculture hectares. The ‘big four’ of GM crops are GM soy (50 per cent), GM corn (31 per cent, GM cotton (13 per cent) and GM canola (five per cent). Most of the world’s GMOs are herbicide tolerant (e.g. to glyphosate). USA leads the world with 12 GMO crops, Canada follows with six GM crops. Other countries
have just three GM crops (n=5 countries), or two (n=5), or just one (n=12) (ISAAA, 2017). Russia is a GMO-free country and has ambitions to be a lead exporter of organic produce and to reap the organic premium (RT, 2017).
In Australia, the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), within the Department of Health, has the role of approving the release of GMOs. There have been 167 GMO applications to the OGTR (2001-2019). The most typical determination of the OGTR is for ‘limited and controlled’ release (n=79 applications). The most common status of applications is ‘surrendered’ (n=97), with a lesser number ‘current’ (n=47) and others ‘withdrawn’ or ‘ceased’ (OGTR, 2019).
Australians remain sceptical
The CSIRO has been the leading Australian-domiciled applicant (n=31 applications), followed by Australian universities (n=23). There has been a wide variety of GMOs applied for by Australian-domiciled entities, including GM wheat (n=23), GM cotton (n=21), GM barley (n=9), GM sugarcane (n=9), and GM bananas (n=5).
Australian consumers remain sceptical about GMO agriculture. The GMO enterprise in Australia, as elsewhere, lacks a social license. In a survey (n=1,255) commissioned by the OGTR, just 10 per cent of Australians regarded GMO agriculture as “safe” (Cormick & Mercer, 2017). Australian supermarkets are well aware of consumer sentiment and they do not stock GM products.
Consumer resistance to GMO food is a global phenomenon. This includes consumers in important Australian food export destinations. For Chinese food shoppers, 60 per cent state that food being GM-free is important (GfK, 2017). ☐
References:
ABCA. (2019). Statistics: GM Canola Uptake. Melbourne: Agricultural Biotechnology Council of Australia (ABCA).
ABS. (2018). 4627.0 - Land Management and Farming in Australia, 2016-17.
Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 26 June.
Cormick, C., & Mercer, R. (2017). Community Attitudes to Gene Technology. Prepared for The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, Canberra, (OGTR). Sydney: Instinct and Reason.
Cotton Australia. (2019). Cotton to Market: Statistics. Sydney: Cotton Australia. GfK. (2017). Decision Factors on What to Eat or Drink: Global GfK Survey (October 2017). London: GfK (Growth from Knowledge).
ISAAA. (2010). ISAAA Brief 42-2010: Highlights. Manila: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).
ISAAA. (2017). ISAAA Brief 53-2017: Executive Summary. Manila: International
Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).
ISAAA. (2018). Pocket K No.16: Biotech Crop Highlights in 2017. Manila: International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).
OGTR. (2019). Table of applications and authorisations for Dealings involving Intentional Release (DIR) into the environment. Canberra: Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR).
Paull, J., & Hennig, B. (2016). Atlas of Organics: Four maps of the world of organic agriculture. Journal of Organics, 3(1), 25-32.
Paull, J., & Hennig, B. (2018). Maps of Organic Agriculture in Australia. Journal of Organics, 5(1), 29-39.
RT. (2017). Putin vows to make Russia a major supplier of organic food to the AsiaPacific Region. 11 November. Moscow: rt.com.