GENETICALLY
MODIFIED ORGANISMS — TOLERANCES
612. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
Minister for Agriculture and Food:
(1) What
tolerances for genetically modified organisms has the Department of Agriculture
and Food called for in its submission to the Organic Industry Standards and
Certification Council?
(2) Will the
minister table the department's submission on GMO tolerances to the
Organic Industry Standards and Certification Council?
(3) Has the
department completed any modelling on the economic losses to organic producers
in WA through loss of organic certification?
(4) If yes to (3), will the minister
table this economic modelling?
(5) If no to (3), why not?
Hon
KEN BASTON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The
Department of Agriculture and Food has requested consideration of the inclusion
of a 0.9 per cent tolerance of genetically modified organisms in line with the
European Union's organic threshold.
(2) Yes.
(3) No.
(4) Not applicable.
(5) The
department's submission supports the coexistence principle to allow for
organic, conventional and genetically modified productions systems within a
farming property.