PO Box 155

Kensington Park, SA, 5068

Australia

31/3/04

Dear Mr. Latham,

It is heartening to read in your letter to the Editor (Habitat Australia, February 2004) that you are committed to a raft of environmental protection measures including the Kyoto Protocol, increasing river flows, halting land clearing and protecting the Great Barrier Reef.

This is a good starting point for developing a comprehensive strategy for ensuring that future generations of Australians can inherit stewardship of a country that is at least as beautiful and diverse as that which we have today. However, as you will realise, there are many further areas which need addressing in order to achieve this goal, or even the lesser one of not causing escalating environmental degradation.

One critical issue which you have not raised is the need to ensure the safety and containment of genetically modified (GM) crops. There are many independent scientists around the world who have been warning for years that GM crops pose severe risks to the environment, to human health and to the farming sector.

There is preliminary evidence to suggest that environmental risks of GM crops include horizontal gene transfer, increased agrochemical use, new weed development, cross-pollination of conventional crops and related weeds, loss of biodiversity and damage to soil ecology.

There is convincing evidence that the safety assessments of GM crops and foods have been woefully inadequate and can in no way be relied upon to ensure the safety of the foods and crops. For example, they have never been safety tested on people, and long-term animal feeding studies have not been done.

There is also compelling evidence that the Australian public is increasingly sceptical about the safety and usefulness GM crops, and the ability of Governments and Regulators to assess and contain them.

It is vital that Australia take urgent steps to protect the Australian public and environment from the myriad risks of GM crops, by:

1. Supporting the current moratoria on GM crop plantings instituted by State Labour governments, in particular extending them to also prevent open field trials, including the proposed 5000 hectare trials of GM canola in the Eastern States.

2. Ensuring full mandatory labelling of foods and seeds derived from GM crops, and supporting thorough safety testing and the establishment of full traceback and post-market health and environmental surveillance systems.

As you stated in your letter, we cannot "trade off the environment for economic development." We look forward to your genuine commitment to ensuring a safe, clean, green Australian food supply.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. C.A. Clinch-Jones, B.M.,B.S.

Director.