THE South Australian Government has rejected calls to follow Western Australia's lead and lift its ban on genetically modified canola.

The matter will not become an election issue when South Australia goes to the polls on March 20 either, as the State Opposition has said it supports the ban.

The West Australian Government's decision last month to lift its ban on the commercial production of GM canola left South Australia as the only mainland state not to sanction the technology.

The end of the West Australian moratorium immediately prompted Victorian Agriculture Minister Joe Helper, farm groups and university experts to call on South Australian Premier Mike Rann to follow suit.

But a Government spokeswoman said the ban would remain in place.

"The moratorium is an important plank in the State Government's strategy to market South Australia as a producer of clean, green and safe food products," she said.

Former South Australian Farmers Federation grains chairman Jeff Arney said the ban prevented growers accessing new-generation canola varieties.

"There are always people who will be opposed to GM, but not everyone," Mr Arney said. "The GM canola would be useful. I can't understand the ban."

Meanwhile, Swinburne University has published a report on a 17-month-old survey of consumer attitudes to GM food.

The university randomly surveyed 1000 people in September 2008, asking them how comfortable they were with genetically modifying plants for food.

On a scale of zero to 10, with zero being "not at all comfortable" and 10 being "very comfortable", the average score was 3.9.

One of the study's authors, Michael Gilding, said there had been little change in consumer attitudes for five years.

Prof Gilding said the study showed the problem for the GM food sector was a lack of trust in the institutions responsible for its commercialisation.

However, an annual survey released by CropLife Australia said a survey by Food Standards Australia New Zealand found little consumer concern about the safety of GM foods.

CropLife Australia, which represents groups including Monsanto, Bayer CropScience and Nufarm, said consumers were more concerned about the fat, sugar and salt content of their food.