Peter Trott
07/27/2002

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While there is opposition to the production of genetically modified (GM) crops in Australia, other GM products are accepted. The latter include medicines and enzymes for cheese making. Another use for genetic modification is the production of foods which offer a secondary benefit, or functional foods, such as potatoes containing a hepatitis B vaccine, and "golden rice" which has high levels of vitamin A and iron and could save sight and even lives in Third World countries. The Western Australian (WA) Department of Agriculture is at the forefront of cereal breeding, and CSIRO's plant industry chief, Jim Peacock, says Australia must use its intellectual property to create value-added products. A group of WA farmers oppose GM crops, however, because of the danger of contamination, and others oppose them because of the demands of companies such as Monsanto, which develop them.

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