The letter-to-the-editor “Research doubts” by Maarten Stapper in The Land of 6 December and The Weekly Times of 12 December (see media ‘CSU GM canola’) provoked a response from Professor Pratley.

Published in The Land (13 Dec.) and The Weekly Times (2 Jan.), it is condescending, a personal attack questioning Maarten’s ability to raise research  issues as being a “former practising scientist”.   

Below is the reply from Maarten, “GM critique misrepresented”,  which was sent to The Land and The Weekly Times asking for a right of reply. As shown below, these were published in The Land of 10 January and The Weekly Times of 23 January. The last one so much reduced in length that it lost its meaning. Compare and judge for yourself. 

First read Prof Jim Pratley’s letter in The Land of 13 December  “Research misunderstood” at the bottom of this page.

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Anna Salleh Friday, 23 March 2007    ABC Science Online

Australia’s national science agency says it is sticking with research into organic and biological farming, in response to recent comments suggesting it is abandoning the field. Despite CSIRO’s reassurance, some critics are concerned the organisation is effectively sidelining such research by not identifying organic farmers’ potentially useful agricultural innovations. 

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A press release about a Charles Sturt University 1999 to 2003 GM canola study generated reporting by the Rural Press in FarmOnline  ‘Report says GM Canola in front’  (13 Nov.) and The Land  ‘CSU research supports GM canola’  by Alan Dick(15 Nov.). The first one is shown at the bottom of this page.

But first is a letter-to-the-editor from Maarten Stapper criticising the pro-GM interpretations of the limited research results. The letter was published as ‘Research figures fatally flawed’  in the Stock & Land of 29 November 2007, ‘Research doubts’  in The Land of 6 December 2007, and  ‘Uni research incomplete’  in The Weekly Times of 12 December 2007.

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The Sunday Age, 27 May 2007 

… “I could have continued working for the CSIRO but I would have to give up all my beliefs about good agriculture and keep my mouth shut about GM,” he said. “I didn’t want that because I have a connection with the farming community and they trust me.”
… Dr Stapper said experience as a farming systems agronomist had taught him that most problems started with the soil, and that was where the solutions were. “GM solutions won’t solve our problems,” he said.
… Dr Stapper said he was sceptical about claims that GM plants improved crop yields and called for more studies on the safety of GM stockfeeds.
… “We can learn to use the power of nature rather than fighting it with synthetic chemicals and unproven new technologies in a war we can’t win,” Dr Stapper said.

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The Sunday Age, 27 May 2007 

… “I could have continued working for the CSIRO but I would have to give up all my beliefs about good agriculture and keep my mouth shut about GM,” he said. “I didn’t want that because I have a connection with the farming community and they trust me.”
… Dr Stapper said experience as a farming systems agronomist had taught him that most problems started with the soil, and that was where the solutions were. “GM solutions won’t solve our problems,” he said.
… Dr Stapper said he was sceptical about claims that GM plants improved crop yields and called for more studies on the safety of GM stockfeeds.
… “We can learn to use the power of nature rather than fighting it with synthetic chemicals and unproven new technologies in a war we can’t win,” Dr Stapper said.

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March 26, 2007 – The Organic Advantage Ed.85

“The Biological Farmers of Australia is deeply concerned that CSIRO has decided to scrap the work of Dr Maarten Stapper an agronomist within Plant Sciences. This area of research that is critical not only to the organic sector, but also to the thousands of farmers around Australia right now developing better soil biology – specifically during a time of massive investment in finding sustainable and effective means of sequestering atmospheric carbon,” said Scott Kinnear spokesperson for BFA.

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The CSIRO’s dumping of one of Australia’s top biological-organic farming systems scientists has sparked strong reactions in the Country papers and magazines.

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The feature below by Maarten Stapper was sent to The Age but was NOT PUBLISHED. He was  interviewed though, and an article appeared ten days later in The Sunday Age of 27 May 2007 (see under Media), a special report in the GM Food Debate with the following passages:

… “I could have continued working for the CSIRO but I would have to give up all my beliefs about good agriculture and keep my mouth shut about GM,” he said. “I didn’t want that because I have a connection with the farming community and they trust me.”

… Dr Stapper said experience as a farming systems agronomist had taught him that most problems started with the soil, and that was where the solutions were. “GM solutions won’t solve our problems,” he said.

… Dr Stapper said he was sceptical about claims that GM plants improved crop yields and called for more studies on the safety of GM stockfeeds.

… “We can learn to use the power of nature rather than fighting it with synthetic chemicals and unproven new technologies in a war we can’t win,” Dr Stapper said.

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