Farmers will bear the brunt of the collision between industry with agendas to promote GM to increase profits, against consumers with genuine concerns wanting to avoid GM food. Farmers will also be faced with rapidly increasing costs and reduction of choice due to the change from "public good" plant breeding to "corporate profit" research and development.

GM canola is promoted as a benefit to farmers yet it can be proven to be a potential financial loss with little agronomic gain and far higher costs. The drive stems from multinational corporations, such as Monsanto, manipulating control of seed supplies and food supply. The research industry is trading knowledge and germplasm in exchange for funding and alliances with multinationals, enabling corporate companies to own patents over farmers’ crops.

Competition is currently retained in the food supply because farmers have the choice to buy and sell from their business of choice. If plant breeders have agreements with Monsanto to add a Monsanto gene to all new varieties released, and farmers are required to purchase new seeds every year, all farmers could be locked into being a contract grower for a single supply chain. This would effectively remove all opposition, as no alternative supply chain will be able to access food. What will be the choice and price for food if controlled by a single supply chain?

With government and industry support, the GM industry has been promoting a path to market for GM and have permitted to introduce GM crops under self-management guidelines that reward the GM industry for the problems their product causes. Coexistence plans are based on accepting contamination rather than preventing it, which will remove the promised choice for consumers and farmers.

Increased costs and lower prices for produce due to market restrictions and lack of premiums will leave farmers in an unaffordable funding vacuum that is not sustainable.

Risk management is required and must not be denied.

Risk management and law reform must include:

• Independent performance trials to assess agronomic and economic claims of GM canola;

• Fair risk management to ensure non-GM farmers are not liable for the economic loss caused by GM crops;

• A requirement that a minimum limit of contamination is proven (eg. 90%) prior to deduction of royalties for GM contamination;

• Investigation into any anti-competitive practises adopted by the seed industry;

• A full investigation to the behind-the-scenes corporate alliances and conditions formed with public plant breeders;

• No restriction to be imposed on farmers or gardeners rights to replant non-GM seeds and no restriction of new varieties available in an alternate non-GM form (without an unwanted GM gene).

• Strict liability legislation to ensure the GM Company is liable for containing their product and any economic loss caused by their inability to do so.

• Independent health testing to allay consumer fears or to identify and address any problems found.

• Support for improved GM labelling allowing consumers a choice to avoid GM if desired; and

• Compulsory public registration of GM growers.