Judy Tierney reports. In northern Tasmania, Alan Rigney is part of a consortium which aims to produce Australia's, and possibly the world's, first chemically-free canola oil. Farmers are contracted to grow crops of canola to produce the oil and a by-product of meal for cattle. But there's a problem. Genetically manipulated crops of canola are being planted at dozens of secret sites around Tasmania.
Canola produces millions and billions of pollen grains.
Every time it pollinates, those pollen grains can cross with conventional varieties of canola. The GMC crops are modified to be resistant to chemicals and the plots are sprayed to kill off weeds. It's a warning repeated by geneticist and environmentalist David Suzuki. But like most of the GM debate, there are radically opposing views. Multinational company Monsanto has planted trial crops of genetically modified canola in Tasmania.