Productivity growth in Australian agriculture is a problem. Globally it has slowed, but in Australia it has slowed even more. [...] Probably the best example of this is genetically modified crops. Despite 15 years of event-free cultivation and no scientific grounds for apprehension, regulatory barriers remain high and political, with bureaucratic and media disapproval significant. Moreover, the relatively few companies that continue to invest in the technology are vilified. Monsanto, for example, probably has the worst public image of any major corporation in the developed world.