PLANT and seed peak bodies have welcomed news that genetically modified crops will be able to be grown in all areas of mainland SA from next year.
Australian Seed Federation chief executive Osman Mewett said it was great to see the state government "putting science before rhetoric" and allowing SA growers "choice".
"For too long, South Australian farmers have been denied the ability to choose from the full suite of tools that have been available to their colleagues in neighbouring states," he said.
"They have been farming with one hand tied behind their back."
Mr Mewett said the GM moratorium had placed restrictions on SA-based researchers, denying SA farmers access to innovative breeding methods and new crops, while banning the transport of GM seeds across the state.
"The GM seed transport ban had a significant negative impact on the Australian seed industry, resulting in increased costs to seed producers and long delays from having to use other transport measures to divert genetically modified seed around South Australia," he said.
"Multiple independent reviews demonstrated there is no trade and marketing benefit to maintaining the GM moratorium in SA.
"The most recent review by Professor Anderson found that the GM moratorium has cost the state's canola industry $33 million, with no tangible trade or marketing benefit in return."
Mr Mewett said it was possible or "co-existence between organic, conventional and GM production systems", saying it had worked in other Australian states for more than a decade.
CropLife chief executive officer Matthew Cossey agreed it was possible for GM crops to work alongside other systems, saying this had been the case in neighbouring states as well as other countries for many years.
"This decision is a win for farmers, for science and for a more productive, environmentally sustainable and profitable future for South Australian farming," he said.
"This decision ends a thorough and open consultation process in which all issues were comprehensively examined.
"The ultimate winners will be all South Australians, with the same economic benefits experienced in other Australian states to now flow through SA."
Mr Cossey said the 11 local councils that had applied to remain GM-cultivation free areas were working on "false premises, rather than evidence, science and data".
"What has been found is what we've known all along, the GM status of a region does not impact on the trade and marketing of any other product or produce, including SA's world-renowned wine industry," he said.
"Rather, it's the high-quality of South Australian produce and farming practices that afford them any premium prices they receive.
"Farmers are being challenged like never before to deliver higher yields with less resources, produce more nutritious foods and improve existing agricultural methods and practices.
"All this while facing unprecedented droughts, floods and bushfires.
"Giving SA's farmers access to all the tools they need to produce our food, feed and fibre is an important step in assisting to meet these challenges.
"For over 20 years, approved genetically modified crops have been grown in Australia and around the world, resulting in 183 million hectares of land being saved from full tillage cropping.
"This has led to improved water storage, a significant reduction in soil erosion and native forests being saved from becoming agricultural production land. GM crops are responsible for savings in CO2 emissions of 27 billion kg - the equivalent of removing 90 per cent of passenger cars registered in Australia from the road for one year."
Grain Producers SA chair Adrian McCabe said the local graingrower representative body would take a leading role in the responsible adoption of new crop varieties within the state.
"We are backing the state's grain industry to manage the transition out of the moratorium in a sensible manner and look forward to growers finally being able to make their own choices about which crops they want to grow," he said.
"We strongly encourage all grain growers to actively participate in industry stewardship programs to enable the orderly adoption of GM crop varieties in SA and ensure coexistence with other farming systems, just like there has been interstate."
Mr McCabe thanked Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister David Basham for making the decision in line with the findings of the GM Crop Advisory Committee.
"Lifting the longstanding GM moratorium has been a difficult and emotive debate at times, however following the leadership of former Minister Tim Whetstone, who worked diligently to secure the support of the Opposition, we have finally achieved important reform that some in industry thought impossible," he said.
"I am proud of the campaign GPSA has run and the way we have worked with all sides of politics to bring about this important change for SA."
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