Pelican

I subscribe to the Truefood newsletter also - in order to remain informed.

If any group is arguing against full disclosure about their product(s), consumers are wise to question whether the product is of a high standard and worth purchasing. Ironic that those who love to claim that consumers have the advantage via the "wallet" to determine a products success, have difficulty in supporting honest, open and informed labelling on items whether they be food or the source and farming method of a timber product.

As you say the issue is not so much about the quality, but whether or not the consumer is in a position to determine whether they believe a product is worth their hard-earned dollars.

Traders have nothing to fear from full disclosure unless they have something to hide.

Well put Severin. The 'wallet' or consumer-power argument becomes superfluous in debates about competition without the benefits and empowerment of full disclosure.

Pelican, labeling laws do indeed need to be practical in the end.
Given the fact that most corn, soy, canola today are gm and they
are commonly used as base ingredients in just about all processed
foods and ingredients of processed foods, it would be virtually
impossible for most manufacturers to guarantee that their foods
are free of any gm contamination.

So you as a consumer do have a choice. Some foods are starting to
be labelled as gm free, where a manufacturer and growers can see
niche markets for those products and provided you are prepared to
pay a premium, they will grow and produce them for you.

Free trade agreements come down to what was negotiated, there were
good reasons why Howard went to so much trouble to sign one with
the US. Australia is alredy locked out of many trading blocks
and the US guaranteed us at least one huge market for our exporters.

Unique, the US is our largest market for both beef and lamb. They
have played the trade game rather tamely, compared to the EU or
some Asian countries. Perhaps you are simply not aware of the
realities of the big bad world out there.

Completely off topic, no I don't export sheep or cattle, but I do
sell some lambs to exporters of various types. When I was
exporting directly and around the world, it was seafood.

Yabby
Doesn't that ring alarm bells, the fact we have had GM products foisted on us without honest labelling in light of lack of consensus on this issue (regardless of one's point of view)

It should in practice be easy to source GM and non-GM product just as it is easy to separate pink lady from fuji, or red delicious apples. The are all the same colour and can be kept separate.

Why not corn, canola or soy etc. The biotechs just don't want it, because it is not desirable for many consumers and they don't give a toss about consumer choice.

Pelican, I guess they will be kept separate, if somebody pays for
them to be kept seperate, as with apples. This very argument went
public, before the first farmers in WA started growing GM canola.

WA canola has so far been GM free, but when it came to who will pay
a premium for GM free canola, nobody put their hand up. Keeping
varieties separate costs significantly more, then it does with
apples.

Given the fact that hundreds of millions of tonnes of GM crops are
grown, hundreds of millions of consumers are eating them and
apparently not falling over poisoned, there is no scientific evidence
to suggest that they are dangerous.

But if enough consumers want GM free food, I am sure that somebody
will do it for a price, as we have with organic food

"Given the fact that hundreds of millions of tonnes of GM crops are
grown, hundreds of millions of consumers are eating them and
apparently not falling over poisoned, there is no scientific evidence
to suggest that they are dangerous."

You cannot possibly summise they are safe only on that basis when we have seen significant rise in immunological diseases and inexplicable increase in allergies. I don't know why this is occurring but more study is needed. I do know that one cannot always trust the biotechs with regard to transparency and integrity in marketing the product when profits are at risk.

"Who will be paying a premium for GM free canola". Who was paying for it prior to GM? Why are we being forced to eat GM products if we don't want to - I am happy for those who wish to buy it to buy it, just don't foist it on us who don't want it.

There is plenty of scientific evidence about the change in some proteins in some GM crops and other research if you care to have a wider look.

Despite our differences about GM, my only point here is competition is not served by failures in labelling and we should not be dictated to by trading partners on issues the citizenry deem important.