Wilderness Society

The Wilderness Society has called on the WA government and Department of Agriculture and Food (DAF) to adopt a more balanced and sustainable approach to funding priorities.

State Coordinator Peter Robertson said answers to questions in parliament submitted by the Society revealed that the organic farming sector is ludicrously underfunded and is being marginalised by the Department in favour of genetically modified (GMO) crops:

1. DAF Funding over past four years
• $0.4 million for organic farming
• $5.9 million for genetically modified crops (GMOs)
i.e., almost 15 times more departmental public funding for GMOs than organics, despite the organic farming sector being the world's fastest growing agriculture sector; most valuable (on a per hectare or per kilo basis); and safest to the
environment and consumers.
• 0.7 staff dedicated to organics
• 4.0 staff dedicated to GMOs
i.e., almost six times more public servant staff time is devoted to GMOs than organics.

2. Growth of organics sector in WA:
• 33% increase in certified organic farmers in WA over past ten years, based on DAF figures.
"While organic farming is rapidly expanding around the world and is far more valuable to farmers on a per hectare and per kilo basis, the department is instead pouring public money into supporting the dangerous, expensive and unpopular genetically modified crop sector.

"What is even worse is that the main beneficiary of this misallocation of public funds will be the big biotech-chemical companies like Monsanto which will end up owning the rights to seeds and crops developed with DAF's public financial assistance.

"WA farmers and consumers are the big losers as limited funds are sunk in a technology that is harmful to the environment, relies on costly chemicals and technology fees, and is rejected by consumers around the world.
"As recipes go, this is a disaster from the Department of Food and Agriculture!"