Summary

Advances in gene technology are increasingly having impacts on how we produce crops and food for animal and human consumption. Australia already allows the commercial growing of genetically engineered canola and cotton for the purposes of herbicide tolerance and insect resistance, and bans are being lifted in some Australian states after extensive crop trials amid ongoing concerns about cross contamination. What are the latest advances in biotechnology, and how is Australia regulating this new and potentially pervasive science? Should there be mandatory labelling to declare the presence of GM ingredients in our food? The GM debate -what are the risks and benefits, ethics and concerns involving genetic modification when applied to food, agriculture, human and animal health and the environment?