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Technology that's safe

In 2003 after a rigorous evaluation process involving independent experts and a review of approximately 400 studies, the Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) declared Roundup Ready canola to be as safe as conventional canola with regard to human health, safety and the environment. 1

Products made with Roundup Ready canola for human consumption have been approved by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) since 2003 and the Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) approved Roundup Ready herbicide with PLANT SHIELD for in-crop use with Roundup Ready canola.

Reducing the environmental footprint

  • Roundup Ready canola is not just safe to eat it’s also an environmentally friendly alternative to existing weed control systems. In fact, Roundup Ready canola’s environmental footprint is less than half that of triazine tolerant canola, the most widely used herbicide tolerant canola in Australia. Triazine tolerant canola relies on the use of atrazine, a residual herbicide which stays active in the soil for considerable periods of time and has been identified as an aquatic pollutant.2 Because of its residual nature, there is a greater risk of leakage of the herbicide into waterways.

  • Clearfield® canola, another variety of conventionally bred herbicide tolerant canola, relies on imidiazolinone-based herbicides, which is also persistent in the environment. By using glyphosate based herbicides which are much less persistent, Roundup Ready canola is a positive step towards cleaner waterways in our rural environment.

  • The environmental benefits of a range of GM crops including GM canola are well documented around the globe and are helping farmers in more than 25 countries (www.isaaa.org, 2008) produce more food and fibre while also using less resources.

Global Impact of herbicide and insecticide use changes from biotech crops 1996-20073

Trait Change in volume of active ingredient used (million kg) Change in field EIQ impact (in terms of million field EIG/ha units) % change in active ingredient use on biotech crops % change in environmental impact associated with herbicide & insecticide use on biotech crops
GM herbicide tolerant soybeans -73.0 -6,283 -4.6 -20.9
GM herbicide tolerant maize -81.8 -1,934 -6.0 -6.8
GM herbicide tolerant cotton -37.0 -748 -15.1 -16.0
GM herbicide tolerant canola -9.7 -443 -13.9 -25.8
GM insect resistant maize -10.2 -528 -5.9 -6.0
GM insect resistant cotton -147.6 -7,133 -23.0 -27.8
Totals -359.3 -17,069 -8.8 -17.2

Source: Brookes G, Barfoot P (2009), GM crops: global socio-economic impacts 1996-2007, PG Economics Ltd, UK


  • Additionally fuel use and related greenhouse gas production is slightly lower in Roundup Ready canola compared to other herbicide tolerant and conventional canola production systems.

  • Globally the introduction of GM crops has led to a lowering of carbon emissions in a range of cropping systems. In 2007, this reduction was equivalent to removing over six million cars from the roads3, and this benefit continues to grow as adoption of the GM technology increases rapidly.

Global Impact of biotech crops on carbon emissions 20073

  Impact of biotech crops on carbon emissions 2007    
  Carbon dioxide savings from reduced fuel use
(billion kg CO2)		 1.14  
  Additional soil carbon sequestration savings
(billion kg CO2)		 13.10  
  Total CO2 savings
(billion kg CO2)		 14.24  
  Car equivalents removed from road
(million)		 14.24  

Source: Brookes G, Barfoot P (2009), GM crops: global socio-economic
impacts 1996-2007, PG Economics Ltd, UK


Roundup Ready canola has been commercially grown in Canada for more than a decade. Locally, canola producers in NSW and Victoria have had the opportunity to grow Roundup Ready canola over the last two seasons with extremely positive results, and as experience with this revolutionary weed system grows, so will the benefits to both growers and the environment.

Links on the environmental benefits of Roundup Ready canola and safety of GM crops:


  1. OGTR DIR 020/2002 - Risk assessment and risk management plan 'general release of Roundup Ready canola in Australia' (December 2003)
  2. Appleyard SJ (1995). Investigation of ground water contamination by fenamiphos and atrazine in a residential area: source and distribution of contaminants. Ground Water Monit. Rev. 15 (4), 110/113.
  3. Brookes G, Barfoot P (2009), GM crops: global socio-economic impacts 1996-2007, PG Economics Ltd, UK