AusBiotech tells Agricultural Innovation Inquiry greater investment is needed

AusBiotech tells Agricultural Innovation Inquiry greater investment is needed

1 October 2015:
AusBiotech's submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry's Inquiry into Agricultural Innovation calls for greater investment.
The submission welcomes the government’s recognition of the importance of primary producer access to advanced technologies such as plant and animal genetics to increase farming productivity and said: "One of the key drivers of long-term productivity growth implicit in the terms of reference for this review is the development and adoption of new production technologies (innovation)."
AusBiotech has made a number of recommendations based on feedback from members, most of which hinge upon increased investment in the sector in order to at least maintain a competitive position amongst international counterparts.
All contributors to this submission, including the large multinational agricultural-products organisations, would like to see greater investment from both the Commonwealth and the private sectors (domestic and international). Several key factors are acting as barriers to achieving greater net public investment in Australian agricultural biotechnology, the most important of which is the regulatory uncertainty that faces organisations investing in the commercialisation of GM crops.
Many of the examples used in the submission relate to GM crops and the benefits resulting from agricultural innovation. This is in part because GM is a contemporary breeding technique that is providing present-day regulatory and social challenges. However, the rapid evolution of molecular biology and the life sciences in general has meant that many of these challenges are becoming dated purely because the emerging gene editing methodologies avoid the current definitions of GM.
As the Committee considers the submissions to this inquiry, AusBiotech has asked that the following be considered:
  • A long-term strategy for innovation is used to guide recommendations. Many of the contemporary challenges will resolve or fade as new techniques emerge and food security issues become more prominent. Modern breeding techniques (plant and animal) along with advances in precision agriculture and data management will be critical if we are to address the future food security and sustainability challenges.
  • Australian regulators remain strong, and flexible. The application of good regulation is critical to build confidence and certainty and underpins public investment in agricultural innovation. Ambiguous or absent regulation elevates risk and is a strong barrier to innovation.
See the full submission here.
For further information, contact AusBiotech National Program Manager Mick Blake mblake@ausbiotech.org

Comments

  1. Unknown26 October 2015 at 12:12

    If Nigeria can invest in Agricultural biotechnology just as many country in the world are developing there agricultural sector to have versatile areas of income generation and empowerment for the youth. It will be a great diversification of economy for super growth of the country. 

    ReplyDelete

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