Submission on Council's Genetically Modified Crops policy

Robyn Reed,
General Manager, Byron Shire Council
PO Box 219, Mullumbimby, NSW 2482

Dear Council

The Tyagarah Sustainable Community Alliance (Tyagarah Progress Association) agrees with council's concerns about genetically modified agriculture. Many of our members choose to grow their own food organically, in order to avoid as much as possible the toxicity of much commercially available food. Genetically modified food is a concern of most of the members. Since - as has been shown by numerous accidents - genetic crops cannot be confined to their test plots and regularly cross-pollinate with other crops growing nearby our members are worried that any GM food grown in Byron is going to end up contaminating either their own home-grown food, or other food purchased locally. We are also concerned about the potential ecological impact of escaped genes on the eco-system.

We therefore support your proposed policy as a minimum.

However we would like to see the policy taken further, and suggest that it could be extended with for example by adding as point three:

3) Council will preferentially purchase food products from companies which guarantee, or have otherwise used their best efforts to ensure their products use no GM ingredients, and will inform potential suppliers of this policy.

Preferential purchasing such as this by council would go a long way to supporting companies that have chosen to be responsible in this regard.

Yours faithfully

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- Mitra for Tyagarah Progress Association

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Replies on this issue please to Mitra, Tyagarah Progress Association, Lot 1, Prestons Lane, Tyagarah NSW 2481. 02-6684-8096,

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