ORGANISERS went to great lengths to maintain an agronomic focus on last week’s Genetically Modified (GM) canola field days and steer clear of industry politics.

However, political lobbying is destined to play a critical role in the overall process and can’t be ignored. The effectiveness of the lobbying could prove just as telling in the final wash-up on the technology’s future, as the GM crop’s actual yield and performance. The man at the centre of the decision-making is Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman.