Genetic modification and editing technologies hold exceptional promise in their application to the agriculture sector. Given their rapid development and potential to create extensive economic and environmental benefit, it is important that the Tasmanian agriculture sector is able to access these innovations.
The current GMO moratorium denies the Tasmanian agriculture sector access to existing and emerging technologies that can enhance profitability, increase resilience and provide a safe, reliable and affordable food supply, with increased environmental sustainability. These emerging technologies simply involve gene editing, not the insertion of whole genes, and are similar to classical mutagenesis. Furthermore, other Australian experiences (such as in South Australia) have demonstrated that the maintenance of a GMO‐free regulatory environment does not lead to substantial price premiums for GMO free commodities.