Australian Report: Co-Existence is Possible

In terms of both organisation and costs, the segregation of GM and non-GM grains throughout the production chain is manageable: this is the conclusion of a study released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE).

Australian consumers, similar to those in Europe, are reluctant to buy GM foods. Therefore, identity preservation arrangements, ensuring the non-GM status of certain grains, are likely to be necessary. The governmental research institution ABARE has investigated the feasibility of workable segregation of GM and non-GM products.

In case studies, ABARE analysed the costs associated with the segregation of GM and non-GM canola. According to Phillip Glyde, Executive Director of ABARE, identity preservation would result in additional costs equalling four to six percent of the producers’ farm gate canola price. He concluded that the costs “are manageable“.