HIGH FLYERS THINK TANK
Biotechnology and the future of Australian agriculture
The Shine Dome, Canberra, 26 July 2005
Welcome
by Dr Jim Peacock
I am pleased to welcome you to this High Flyers Think Tank on 'Biotechnology and the future of Australian agriculture'.
The Academy of Science has several roles in Australia, one of which is to work closely with various parts of the Australian government to ensure that the very best science and factual information is available to the policy-makers in government. Today is part of the process that we employ in our attempts to inform those policy-makers on issues that are of great importance to this country.
Today's work is supported by Biotechnology Australia, which is one of the central groups of government concerned with this area, and by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which is also directly involved. I thank them for their generous sponsorship and their interest in this Think Tank.
I would also like to congratulate you, the participants, on being nominated to attend this Think Tank. We have had a number of Think Tanks around the country on different topics, and they have proven – in our opinion and, I think, in the government's opinion – to be of considerable worth. One of the other roles that we see for the Academy is to engage and encourage young and mid-career scientists in Australia, not only to further their own careers but also to further their interest in the way in which science impacts upon our society.
You would be very much aware that today's topic is important in science and the way it is developing, but of course it has the potential to impact on our society in a number of ways. We would like you to think about the gaps in our knowledge in this area, particularly in relation to the way in which this science may be delivered to the public, to think about social science issues. As we address the basic matters of increased productivity and the environmental challenges that face agriculture, we do need to think of the ethical issues surrounding the application of the science. So it is an opportunity for you to think deeply, to use your imagination and to share your creativity with your colleagues. How could your research make a difference? How are you going to contribute to the new improved agriculture?
The public seems to readily accept genetically engineered drugs as part of our modern medicine – human insulin and human growth hormone are great examples of the applications of biotechnology. And one of the main reasons these are accepted, I think, is that they obviously can improve the quality of life of the consumer. On the other hand, genetically modified (GM) crops have not reached that level of acceptance with the public. There is downright antagonism in some quarters, and certainly concern in many parts of the world about whether or not we should use GM techniques in our agriculture.
I think, in large part, GM foods are not as yet seen to improve the quality of life of the consumer. Mostly, consumers don't know where food comes from, except that it is in the third shelf in the fourth row of the supermarket. They have little knowledge of how a farm actually works. Most of the applications of this field have been to the benefit of the farmer and the indirect benefit of the consumer.
But we are approaching a situation where the consumer is going to be seeing changes in our food products that are directly aimed at improving health, and that they may play a very important role in preventative medicine. So perhaps we will see some change in attitude.
We have been through the major effects of the IT economy – we are still in them – and I am certain the biotechnology economy is growing every day.
Your efforts today will help steer Australia's path in this area. We will undertake to make sure that your report is widely distributed to decision-makers and policy-makers. We have found in the past that there has been great interest by these people in what you, the younger and fresher minds of Australian science, have to say about these topics.
