Fed: Survey of farmers a push-poll: GM opponents

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Fed: Survey of farmers a push-poll: GM opponents

CANBERRA, Aug 19 AAP - A government survey of farmers on their attitudes to geneticallymodified crops was a push-poll, an anti-GM organisation said today.

GeneEthics Network director Bob Phelps said the survey was another attempt by governmentagencies to force farmers to accept GM crops.

Biotechnology Australia this week released a survey of 500 farmers which found 74 percent of those quizzed said they would not consider growing GM crops at this stage.

Forty nine per cent said they were generally opposed to GM crops, while 23 per centsaid they were supportive. Another 17 per cent answered neither.

But after providing farmers with information about GM crops, support rose to 42 per cent.

Dr Phelps said the information supplied by the agency was just an attempt to changefarmer responses to the survey.

"The claimed increase in support for genetically engineered crops from 23 per centto 42 per cent is an artefact of the survey design which amounts to push-polling," hesaid in a statement.

"Biotechnology Australia (BA) is not impartial.

"This survey is the latest chapter in BA's promotional campaign to commit Australiansto GE crops, with millions of taxpayer dollars."

Dr Phelps said BA represented five federal government departments responsible for financingand supporting gene technology.

He said even with the survey, it was clear farmers were concerned about GM crops.

The Network of Concerned Farmers also attacked the survey.

Network spokeswoman Julie Newman said the reasons given for supporting GM crops inthe survey were increased yields and reduced chemical use.

But there was doubt over claims from major GM crop suppliers that the technology didprovide those benefits, she said.

The survey failed to provide farmers with all the information they needed to make anobjective decision, she said.

"Farmers are objecting to GM crops because economic risk outweighs economic benefit,(so) if the economic risks are removed and the economic benefits are overestimated, ofcourse there will be little objection to GM introduction," she said in a statement.

"Unbiased information is certainly needed prior to any further surveys."

AAP sw/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: GMO DAYLEAD