GM-Free Australia Alliance advocates for food and farming free from
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
As we power ahead with the work of collating and verifying over 200 GM-Free products for the coming GM-Free True Food Guide, we ask you to generously consider donating to help publish our guide.
Do you WANT a Shopping List of GM-Free products, which you can use immediately to help substitute any GMOs you may have in your current diet?
This FREE online guide will be published on our website in a downloadable PDF and printable format, so you can take it shopping with you and share it with your friends!
Please consider a tax deductible donation if you can, and help us keep increasing the number of products in our Guide and keep fighting for a GM-Free Australia.
Say NO to GMOs by sending us photos of the labels of your favourite GM-Free Foods to add to our list at [email protected]
Banana appeal: Australia’s first genetically modified fruit sent for approval
Scientists have submitted Australia’s first genetically modified fruit – a Cavendish banana – to regulators for approval, saying it has been engineered to withstand a deadly fungus that poses a threat to banana growers worldwide.
The banana, known as QCAV-4, has been genetically modified to resist a fungus known as Panama disease tropical race 4 (TR4), which is threatening the multibillion-dollar Cavendish industry globally.
If approved, the banana would become Australia’s first GM fruit to be approved for cultivation and consumption, as well as the first GM banana to be approved worldwide.
Cavendish made to resist fungus threatening varieties worldwide is seen as a safety net for growers if industry is wiped out.
Corteva says it will label new GM seeds
Corteva Agriscience, the world’s second largest seed company, says it will label all seeds developed using new GM techniques (sometimes called “new genomic techniques” or NGTs), even if upcoming EU rules don’t require this, according to a report in Politico (subscription only).*
Politico quotes Teresa Babuscio from Corteva’s Europe and Asia division as saying: “We are committed to [voluntarily] disclos[ing] the breeding methods through which the seeds are made available. In this way, we will make sure that farmers can not only choose, but also market the crop according to the added value that the NGT brings to the harvest.”
Corteva hasn't yet said how it would disclose the information, but said it could entail putting labels or barcodes on bags, along with the paperwork farmers sign when buying the seeds.
Babuscio said this could help alleviate concern that the deployment of gene-edited seeds would impact sectors like organic farming. She said: “Farmers will know what they’re buying and what they’re putting in the soil for cultivation.”
Not good enough
While this may look like a victory for those of us who are arguing for labelling of new GM products, it's not acceptable to replace mandatory labelling in law (which the EU currently has) with voluntary commitments from industry. Voluntary commitments mean that disclosure remains under the control of the company and can be withdrawn at any time.
Also, without mandatory labelling of new GMOs throughout the farm and food chain, a company's voluntary labelling of seed won't carry through to the crop grown from the seed, or to food products made from that crop.
Mute Schimpf from Friends of the Earth Europe agrees that voluntary commitments are insufficient. She told Politico: “More convincing would be a public statement that they want to keep the current labelling rules for new GMOs, rules that already protect the consumers and farmers’ right to choose."
Politico notes that Corteva is the only major seed company to date to have committed to labelling NGT products in anticipation of the upcoming EU regulation.
* Politico (Morning Agri). Corteva to label NGT seeds. 5 May 2023 (no online link, even behind a paywall, seems to be available). (GMWatch, 2023)
(GMWatch, 12 May 2023) Corteva says it will label new GM seeds. Corteva says it will label new GM seeds (gmwatch.org)
Hidden GMO ingredients
Processed foods often have hidden GM sources (unless they are organic or labelled non-gmo or gm-free).
the following are some ingredients that may be made from gmos.
- Aspartame (also called AminoSweet®, NutraSweet®, Equal Spoonful®, Canderel®, BeneVia®, E951)
- Baking Powder
- Canola Oil (Rapeseed Oil)
- Caramel Colour
- Cellulose
- Citric Acid
- Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
- Colorose
- Condensed Milk
- Confectioners Sugar
- Corn Flour
- Corn Masa
- Corn Meal
- Corn Oil
- Corn Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Cornstarch
- cottonseed oil
Want to see more? Click here to see the full list of Hidden GM Ingredients
Our team at GM-Free Australia Alliance Inc. work tirelessly on educating people about the dangers of GMOs, including the next generation of GMOs 2.0, gene editing. We strongly advocate for GMO labelling through the GM-Free True Food Guide.
Our mission is to educate the public through the GM-Free True Food Guide to empower all Australians to make healthy GM-Free food choices. We rely solely on the generous donations of people like you, who care about the health and sovereignty of the food that you and your family eat.
The GM-Free True Food Guide Project can only succeed with adequate funding and enough volunteers to make it happen. We need your financial support to do it and to continue our vital job of advocating for a GM-Free Australia every day.
Help support the publication of the GM-Free True Food Guide!
Please donate to the GM-Free True Food guide!
We have come a long way on this journey - educating and advocating for GM-Free farms, foods and futures. For the past 17 years the efforts of the GMFAA have influenced public sentiment to demand labelling of GMOs, voice concerns and help grow awareness of GM-Free products all over Australia.
Now we need your support to educate and empower the next generation of fighters for food sovereignty and GMO Free foods!
PLEASE MAKE A DONATION BY 30 JUNE 2023.
There are an ever increasing number of companies labelling GM-Free and we aim to capture these in the GM-Free True Food Guide with an initial publication of 200 products, to be followed by 500 products in Stage 2 and 1000 products by Stage 3. Your donation will help us get there!
To join or Volunteer for our cause, please visit our website to get involved. Follow our facebook pages, GM-Free Australia Alliance and True Food Network for the latest news, info and campaigns.
In our next Newsletter, look out for more information on the True Food Guide and the future of food.
NO to GMOs!
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Working for a GM-Free Australia
GM-Free Australia Alliance advocates for food and farming free from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)!
We oppose the genetic engineering, editing, modification & manipulation of living organisms.