Grain Producers Australia condemns the ABC's choices to rely on hearsay evidence to inform a campaign demonising the use of the herbicide paraquat on Australian farms.
GPA Research, Development & Extension Spokesperson Andrew Weidemann said the ABC’s recent campaign focusing on a suggested link between Parkinson’s Disease and exposure to the chemical was lacking in quantifiable evidence, and frankly didn’t pass the sniff test.
“We are absolutely concerned for people living with Parkinson’s Disease, but the reality is, as confirmed by three OECD-nation regulators in the last four years, there is no established causal link between paraquat and Parkinson’s Disease, particularly under real world conditions," he said.
"In an unprecedent move today, we’ve seen the Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) publicly rebuke the ABC for publishing articles about the Authority’s proposed regulatory decision on paraquat that make false or misleading claims.
“The ABC has selectively portrayed the science relied on in their focus on this topic as absolute, but the reality is the ABC is not the regulator.
“The ABC is an institution that people, including farmers, have trusted over the journey to provide good, accurate and independent journalism, but I think in this case they’ve brought this into question.”
He said the audience of the initial Landline segment on September 2 in particular, were being led to believe that modern agriculture was employing practices that had not been in place for 35-40 years.
“I don’t think that’s a good image that “trusted” news and information sources such as the ABC should be portraying,” he said.
“We’ve got to be quite clear about how and when farmers use this important chemical tool, and the safety precautions we adhere to, to ensure this herbicide can be used in a way that underpins conservation tillage and sustainable grain production.
“The systems that most grain farmers are employing now are closed-loop systems that are used alongside personal protective equipment and other regulatory requirements to ensure safety.”
GPA is preparing a submission as a part of this process for the APVMA and will be submitting a formal complaint to the ABC to reinforce the view of Australia’s independent science-based agricultural chemical regulator on the recent performance of our national broadcasters – farmers, and all Australians deserve better!
ENDS
Further Information:
GPA RD&E Spokesperson Andrew Weidemann: 0428 504 544
GPA Interim Chief Executive Pete Arkle: 0488 772 656
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