Your RIGHT to CHOOSE the food YOU eat is under THREAT! Some people don’t like genetically modified food, some don’t care, some support GM. Regardless – you should have the ability to CHOOSE. That right is under threat in a landmark court case starting on 10 February in the Western Australian Supreme Court. We happen to be passionate about ORGANIC food. We are members of the National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) and all our products are 100% organic and certified by NASAA. Certification is a very tricky business when you are working in a developing country in 40 different villages! NASAA has been our certifier since we started production in the Solomon Islands in 2004 (hey, 10 years - big celebrations in 2014!). Anyway, they have asked us to support an organic farmer, Steve Marsh, who is going to the WA Supreme Court next week to FIGHT for YOUR RIGHT to CHOOSE organic or GM. We’d like to share this with you and ask you to become aware and if you feel it’s appropriate, support Steve Marsh.... My name is Scott Kinnear. I am the Safe Food Foundations Director and the former Chair of Organic Federation of Australia (OFA). I am writing today to seek your support for a landmark case that is happening in Western Australia. It is a case that directly affects your business and the future of the organic industry in Australia. You have probably already heard of Steve Marsh. He is a NASAA organic certified farmer who lost his certification on 70% of his farm when his neighbour’s swathed genetically modified (GM) canola blew onto his property. He was left with barely any support and lost a large part of his income. He faced many management issues whilst trying to decontaminate his land. When Steve took this matter to the WA Agricultural minister at the time, Terry Redman, he was told that the organic standards are to blame for his loss and that if the organic standards allowed for GM contamination, this would never have happened. Steve decided to stand up to protect his rights. With a no liability agreement in place between Monsanto and GM farmers, Steve had no choice but to take his neighbour to court and he is suing him for compensation for loss and damages. The case is set to begin on the 10th of February 2014 at the WA Supreme Court. Why is this relevant to you? This case is a landmark case and will set the precedent not just for GM canola, but also for future GM crops. The inability to prevent GM contamination in Australia may put at risk major export markets, such as Europe, and affect Australia’s status and reputation as a world leader in organics. This may not only affect contaminated farmers but also the industry as a whole if consumers cannot be assured that organic products grown in Australia are GM-free. There is a large and growing movement of people who are concerned with the quality of their food and GM is in the centre of the debate. Currently, the only way for consumers to know that their food is GM-free is to buy organic. Consumer backlash is likely should the right to choose GM-free be taken away. A legal precedent may also be established shifting the economic burden of GM farming to non-GM farmers, requiring farmers who wish to farm organically to move to GM-free States or forego organic price premiums. As a consequence, organic farming may become prohibitively expensive in regions of Australia where GM crops are allowed. In such a case the economic viability of organic farming in Australia would be put at serious risk. What happens if Steve wins? This is the world’s first case of an organic farmer using the courts to recover loss and damages from a GM farmer. This case has been described as a landmark case for organic vs. GM worldwide. People want their right to farm and eat GM-free to be protected by law. If Steve wins it will set a precedent – making GM farmers in Australia responsible for the GM crops they grow, just as farmers are responsible for stock or other animals causing damage to a neighbour’s property. The judgement will also guide the application of common law to GM contamination events and will be of interest to lawmakers worldwide. Steve could lose his farm! If Steve is not successful in court, he could lose his farm and other organic farmers would face the same fate. It would make the right to choose GM-free a subtext in the agricultural system in Australia. It could also allow for further GM crops to be commercially cultivated without any proper measures for protection from GM contamination. GM Wheat in 2017? The CSIRO is pushing to have GM wheat commercially cultivated as early as 2017. This would make Australia the first country in the world to do so – and we export 70% of our wheat. It is vital to establish responsibility for GM contamination if GM wheat is grown. This is a pivotal and singular opportunity to keep the unique advantage of the organic farming system in Australia free from the afflictions other countries have experienced. The non-GM farmer is not the one who should pay the cost for contamination while the biotech companies rake in the profits. When people like Steve stand up for their rights in spite of what he may lose, it gives us a chance to stand up with him. Help us take action Steve’s lawyers from Slater & Gordon are working on a pro bono basis under their public interest policy but there are many more costs to cover such as barrister fees, travel and accommodation. Our estimate is that we need to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure we cover what is needed. His neighbour is well supported and funded by pro-GM organisation, the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA. We, the Safe Food Foundation, are coordinating to raise funds and awareness to make sure Steve has the best case possible and we need your help. We are building a database of high profile supporters to attract the kind of global attention we believe will help to raise funds and so far Steve has support from many organic businesses like Wray Organics, B.D. Farm Paris Creek, Spiral Foods, Organic Wholefoods, Core Organics, Organic Times and public figures like Matt Preston, Kylie Kwong and Costa Georgiadis David Suzuki and Vandana Shiva. Please help Steve to protect the future of organic food We have three donation levels for the Organic Industry Gold $5000 or above, Silver $2000 to $5000 and Bronze $500 to $2000 For any donation above $500 we will publicise your support on the Steve Marsh – Ethical & Organic Business Steve Marsh Supporters page of our website and to our large network of supporters on email and social media. Social media outreach is an important part of our day-to-day campaigning and we have a total of over 8,000 supporters on Facebook, almost 11,000 followers on twitter and over 22,000 subscribers to our newsletters. If costs are recovered you may receive some money back! In addition, if Steve is successful and recovers his costs, then the Safe Food Foundation will recover a percentage of our disbursement costs paid for. If you choose to, we will reimburse you the percentage of costs recovered of the amount you donate. Fundraising events at Heronswood in Vic & Public Meeting in Perth We also have a few events organised in support for Steve, which include a fundraising event in Heronswood and a public event at Perth Town Hall with some high profile speakers including Senator Scott Ludlam, followed by a gathering at Stirling Gardens outside the Supreme Court for a photo opportunity. If you can attend any of these events, please RSVP by clicking on the links provided or if you cannot attend but can donate gifts for an auction to raise money for Steve, it would be very much appreciated. Please contact us at [email protected] if you can assist. Here is a short version of our campaign video with footage from Steve to tell his side of the story. Steve and your consumers thank you wholeheartedly. Thank you and warm regards, Scott Kinnear & Clive Blazey Founders and Directors of the Safe Food Foundation -- The Safe Food Foundation Level 1 / 277 Smith St Fitzroy VIC 3065 Australia Tel: +61 (0)3 9005 5860 Email: [email protected] Website:safefoodfoundation.org facebook/safefoodfoundation https://twitter/#!/SafeFoodFound
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 23:22:25 +0000
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