In what can only be described as a public relations disaster for Monsanto, the company has been forced to admit Wednesday that it financially supported the legal defense of the farmer who contaminated Steve Marsh’s farm in Western Australia.

Two Western Australian grain farmers are back in court today for the appeal hearing for damages around the alleged loss of income due to genetically modified (GM) canola contamination.

The Seeds Of Wrath Part 1 - Transcript

PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT: Monday, 16 March , 2015

CAROLINE JONES, PRESENTER: Hello. I'm Caroline Jones. Wherever we may live, it's a fine thing to have good neighbours. Tonight we’re off to the wheat belt of Western Australia for an epic saga of friends and neighbours falling out. It all began with the planting of genetically modified crops next to an organic farm but it escalated to the Supreme Court, where it’s drawn international headlines. The battle is far from over. With the case about to return to court we hear from both farmers, and their families, for the first time.

ROSYLYNE ALLSOP, MICHAEL’S SISTER: To get to Perth it’s a three hour drive. It’s not a short trip. On verdict day, Michael would have left first thing in the morning.

MICHAEL BAXTER: Steven, you know, to put me through what he’s put me through: well, there’s no forgiving for that. He could possibly, he could have done things a lot easier. Could've come over the fence and had a chat and, you know, have a beer and somehow maybe sorted it out a little bit different.

STEVE MARSH: I don’t think a lot of people realise just how much goes on in preparing for particularly a big court case. After going through so much, everything is beyond your control. So you’ve just got to just, just wait and hear what the judgement is.

Some Victorian dairy farmers want the opportunity to grow genetically modified rye grass.

The GM-Free Farmers are a not-for-profit farming group with membership currently open to any Western Australian farmer.

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The idea to start a new group dedicated to GM-free farming has been in the making for a number of years. The current situation in WA regarding the possible repeal of the GM Crop-Free Areas Act 2003, finally drove a core group of fifteen mostly conventional farmers from all over WA to take the initiative, hold an informal meeting and form the GM-Free Farmers in Sept 2014. A number of objectives were carefully drafted into a Mission Statement by which all future actions will be governed.

The most important issue the group quickly identified was the current lack of representation in the media and government of their views. With a group representing the majority of farmers' opinions on GM crops, a much more balanced debate can be had instead of just relying on industry motivated

statements from a few outspoken individuals as has been the case up until now.

A recent national poll (Farmonline - 9/6/14 "Should Australia embrace GM wheat?") attracted a staggering 1554 votes with a result of 93.2% against the idea. The GM-Free Farmers aim to give this clear majority of farmers a much needed outlet to voice their concerns on GM issues.

A group of Western Australian grain growers have formed a united voice to oppose genetically modified food production.

A recently published review by researchers at two universities has suggested that there is not enough evidence that GM crops are safe to eat.

The Harper Review of Australia’s competition policy has fired a warning shot at the South Australian and Tasmanian governments restricting farmers’ access to genetically modified (GM) crops.

South Australian Liberal Senator Sean Edwards says an outbreak of beet western yellow virus has “blindsided” croppers in his home State this season.

The Liberal Government is getting on with the job of delivering our long-term plan for Tasmania, including working to achieve our vision of growing the value of our agricultural produce ten-fold by 2050. Next week's Budget is all about keeping our promises, fixing the budget mess and laying the foundations for the future. Today, the Liberal Government is fulfilling its commitment to extend the existing moratorium on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Tasmania for five years. Importantly, this will provide certainty to our primary industries to further develop markets for our produce, protect our state's brand and support future growth in the food and agricultural sector. The Genetically Modified Organism Amendment Bill 2014 that I tabled in Parliament this morning takes into account the findings of the comprehensive 2013 review by my Department, which considered 160 public submissions and new market research. The review demonstrated that there is currently no imperative to change from having a moratorium. The Liberal Government believes that a five-year moratorium is a common sense approach that strikes an appropriate balance between the needs of today and the possibilities of tomorrow. Through AgriGrowth Tasmania, we will actively monitor developments in technology, markets and consumer sentiment throughout this period. A new Tasmanian Gene Technology Policy and associated Gene Technology Guidelines provide the necessary detail on how the moratorium will be implemented. The policy and the moratorium will be reviewed prior to its expiry in 2019.