Figure: South Australia’s Parliament has taken another step towards legalizing the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops, voting to approve a bipartisan compromise framework to allow GM crops to be grown on mainland SA, but not Kangaroo Island.

The Parliament of South Australia has moved forward towards commercial planting of GM crops by voting to allow a bipartisan compromise framework to let GM crops be planted on mainland SA, but not in Kangaroo Island.

SA implemented a moratorium on planting GM crops in 2004. On January 2, 2020, Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone lifted the moratorium on mainland SA.

With the compromise framework, all mainland local councils will be granted with time-limited ability to apply for designation as a GM-free area for trade and marketing purposes. Councils that opt to get premium from GM-free status may apply for retention of the moratorium for their council area. The final decision will come from the Minister.

According to Grain Producers South Australia (GPSA) CEO, Caroline Rhodes, after 16 years, SA growers are getting closer to have freedom of choice to grow the same crops as their mainland interstate counterparts.

Read more from the Genetic Literacy Project.