The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has labelled moves by anti-GM group Gene Ethics, to place a list of names and property locations of farmers supposedly growing GM Canola on their website, as a disgrace. The map includes the property location of Victorian Premier John Brumby.

VFF President, Simon Ramsay said that the release of unconfirmed maps of supposed GM Canola sites with the names of property owners was appalling. “This is a disgraceful and unsubstantiated witch hunt and shows how few ethics, Gene Ethics really have,” Mr Ramsay said. “Farmers have as much right to privacy as any other citizen, and Bob Phelps and his gang of activist thugs have no excuse for breaching it.”

“Gene Ethics claim that this is some sort of public service is self serving nonsense. Even if GM Canola was being grown at these locations, the reality is that all relevant authorities have approved of the technology and allowed farmers the choice,” Mr Ramsay added. “The Gene Ethics website has also called for volunteers to participate in new action programs.”

“The farmers and their families named on the Gene Ethics website may very well fear what these new actions may entail now that their names and locations have been listed publicly,” Mr Ramsay concluded.

GM canola is allowed to be grown in NSW and Victoria as of this year.

In the UK sites of GM-crops are open to the public and vandalism at the sites has become commonplace.

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