Tasmania's ban on genetically modified crops made indefinite in bid to protect clean

[opi8]

I am confused, aren't the Norman poppies genetically modified?

Tasmanian poppy growers last year threatened a legal challenge against an extended moratorium.

Chief executive of Poppy Growers Australia, Keith Rice, says the decision will make Tasmania's poppy industry an agricultural backwater.

"The poppy industry is growing as it supplies the base material for the world pharmaceutical industry and it's looking to expand it off Tasmania to the mainland of Australia," he said.

"This will only assist in accelerating that expansion on mainland Australia where GM is welcome and encouraged."

Does anyone know any more info about this?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-09/tasmania27s-gmo-ban-extended-indefinitely/5192112

 

[spacejunk]

Good point.
"I guess" big pharma make their own rules.
....but it is confusing - that's a very strangely written story.

The state's GMO producers have welcomed the decision.

????

 

[footscrazy]

I'm thinking that sentence,

The state's GMO producers have welcomed the decision.

must be meant to say GMO free, given the next sentence goes on to say

North-west company Greenhams exports meat from cattle raised on GM-free feed. Livestock manager Graeme Pretty says the extended moratorium will protect the state's international reputation.

That's the only way I can make sense of that.

I don't know much about the poppy industry in Tas but I suppose the implication is that the poppies are breed to exhibit certain traits rather than being scientifically modified. I think that's an interesting situation really (and not just in this context) - humans have been 'genetically modifying' crops for thousands of years - but just doing it the slow way, by selectively breeding crops with desirable traits. There seems to be such a mental distinction between breeding a crop to genetically modify it, or doing it straight away in a labratory. It's interesting to consider where the line is drawn, and why.

 

[spacejunk]

^ the difference?
Monsanto! :0

 

[mister]

Fuck Monsanto, trying to control our food supply