Chefs against a GM nation

As a child growing up in the countryside of Quebec, Serge Dansereau had always loved the feeling of plucking out fresh potatoes and green beans from the vast fields near his home.

Now an established chef in the Sydney food scene – Dansereau, of Bathers Pavilion fame, still works hard at seeking out regional growers and artisan producers to bring that earthy, home-grown feeling to his diners’ plates. 

But a recent trip to Canada has left him worried about the future of agricultural produce in his home country. “When I returned to Quebec this time, something felt very different,” Dansereau said. “At first, I couldn’t put a finger on what it was – the farms were still there, the roads were the same, yet the countryside looked a little different.”

It was during a drive with his father that it suddenly hit him. Instead of acres of wheat, potatoes, green beans and fruit trees, all the fields looked the same. The farms of Dansereau’s childhood are now filled with rows of genetically modified corn.

“The farmers are getting a bit more money to plant corn, as opposed to potatoes and beans. It’s slowly become a monoculture – and that’s a real danger,” he said.

To campaign against the introduction of genetically modified food in Australia, a group of high-profile chefs, including Dansereau, have signed up to Greenpeace’s GM-Free Chef’s Charter to express concerns about serving GM ingredients in their restaurants.

The charter, launched in Sydney’s Dank Street Depot, follows the first planting of GM canola crops in New South Wales and Victoria in April. It calls for the reversal of the State Governments’ decision as well as proper labelling of all food products that contain GM ingredients.

More than 50 top chefs around the country have already signed up, including big names like Kylie Kwong, Neil Perry, Stephanie Alexander and Restaurant Aria’s Matthew Moran.

“I don’t really want to put food in the mouths of my children that I’m not sure whether or not can be damaging for them,” owner and head chef of Waterloo’s Dank Street Depot, Jared Ingersoll, said. “Genetically modified food pretty much takes a big paint brush and paints everything the same colour. It leans heavily towards mono-cultures and erodes food traditions. I believe that chefs have a very unique position in that we talk to both farmers and customers. So, by endorsing the chef’s anti-GM charter, we’re saying to consumers that we’re serious about food and this is an issue of importance.”

What is genetic modification?

Genetic engineering, or genetic modification (GM), involves changing the DNA of organisms by transferring genes between and within different living things.

Last year, the New South Wales and Victorian Governments agreed to lift a ban on the commercial production of GM canola crops. They argue that the decision will deliver significant environmental and financial gains for the farming industry, but consumer groups and anti-GM advocates are not convinced.

“The health risks so far are unknown,” Greenpeace campaign spokesperson Michelle Sheather said. “There are no studies on humans but the studies conducted on rats have shown early indicators that there are health problems due to stunted growth or increased sizes of internal organs.”

Scientists have also expressed concerns about the risk of cross-pollination. This is because, once the canola crops are harvested, it will be difficult to retain two separate streams in terms of transportation and storage.

Labelling loopholes

Greenpeace estimates that GM canola currently makes up less than one percent of crops in New South Wales and Victoria, but the group is concerned about the risk of cross-pollination and contamination of conventional canola crops.

“There’s only a very small amount of GM crops right now, but there’s a danger because canola pollinates so readily,” Greenpeace’s Michelle Sheather said. “Once the amount of GM canola increases, it will be impossible to contain.”

Canola is used in a wide range of food products including breakfast cereals, bread, oil and margarine. But under existing labelling laws, highly refined products such as sugar or oil are exempt from being labelled as genetically modified.

“When a GM ingredient is highly refined, it doesn’t have any detectable GM protein,” CHOICE senior food policy officer Clare Hughes said. “And that’s one of the major loopholes in the current labelling laws. This means products with those highly refined ingredients don’t have to be labelled as GM.”

Ms Hughes thinks consumers who are concerned about GM foods should be given the choice to avoid products that contain ingredients derived from GM, regardless of whether its presence can be detected in the final product.