Extended GM moratorium aims to give Tasmania a marketing edge

The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) is calling on the State Government to put up $10 million to help market the state's GM-free status, after the Labor Governmnet voted to keep the existing moratorium.State cabinet agreed to keep the moratorium on commercially grown genetically modified crops until at least 2014.The decision is based on the belief that a GM-free status will allow Tasmania to tap into growing demand for non-GM foods around the world, which the Minister for Primary Industries, David Llewellyn, describes as a premium market.The State Government has committed to working with Brand Tasmania to develop a marketing strategy, but president of the TFGA Roger Swain says that's not enough."What we need to see is a financial commitment to make sure that all happens, that's the only way this can be justified, beyond that it just becomes a simple ideological decision not based on proper science."But tapping into demand for GM-free food is not as simple as just labelling produce as conventionally grown, according to a food industry analyst. Martin Kneebone from Freshlogic says shoppers who are willing to pay a premium for their food are interested in the entire production process."If you look at the precedents around the world we think that probably the strongest option would be to look at the whole category of ethical food benefits."
In this report: Roger Swain, president TFGA; Martin Kneebone, Freshlogic