Genetically Modified Canola

Anyone who has driven through the wheatbelt will know, it is impossible to keep a crop entirely within a single paddock. Barb-wire... mesh... a seed will easily blow through. Look at the verges of a country road: whatever has been grown in the paddocks is now also growing beside the road.

Western Australia allows GM (genetically modified) canola to be grown by our farmers. It's pretty clear that the GM seed will spread. How can you guarantee that you will never be eating GM canola?

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GM canola will spread. In trials, there were "only" a few instances where GM canola contaminated non-GM canola. That was from a few dozen GM trial crops.

What will be the contamination rate when there are thousands of farmers growing GM canola? Does any sensible person really expect that GM canola will never be accidentally (or deliberately) mixed with non-GM canola?

There could be thousands of paddocks growing GM canola. These will be interspersed with thousands more paddocks growing non-GM canola. Already, crops have crossed fence-lines, to grow along road verges. Soon, GM canola will be growing in paddocks which officially hold only non-GM crops.

How can you avoid eating canola which has been contaminated?

Does it matter?

Okay, that's an interesting question.

Does it matter, whether or not the canola that we eat is GM or non-GM? Well, I don't know... Okay, I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'd like to see some solid, scientific support for "safe". But really, I'm uncommitted.

On the other hand -- there are quite a few people who would rather not eat GM canola. So what do they do?

Eat canola -- or canola oil, or a product which includes canola oil -- and the chances are, you will end up eating GM canola. What can you do to avoid that?

Stop eating canola!

If you really care: stop eating canola. Stop using canola oil. Avoid buying any product which includes any form of canola or canola oil in its manufacture. When you eat out, ask, Do you use canola oil? If the answer is Yes -- eat somewhere else.

Your impact may be small, or it may actually make a difference.

But you will probably be safe from eating GM canola. And that is possibly the best option that you have.

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