Lifting GM bans may trigger legal landslide

THE lifting of bans on genetically modified (GM) canola in NSW and Victoria will trigger a landslide of lawsuits from producers, Australia's largest organic farming body said today.

The warning follows concerns from the nation's largest publicly-listed food company that the axing of the bans will damage Australian exports to Europe.

The NSW and Victorian governments this week ended bans on GM canola crops, which are resistant to the widely used pesticide glyphosate.

Up until now, Queensland has been the only state in Australia where farmers were allowed to grow GM canola.

Scientists and farmers' groups applauded the move from the southern states, arguing GM canola was more environmentally sustainable, drought-resistant and better yielding than regular crops.