But what about the effect on small farmers?

Ask permaculture expert Michelle Higgins about this and she is quick to say it is a threat to small farmers, sustainability and also to biodiversity.

The financial impact it imposes on farmers also has her worried.

The Singleton woman recalled scenarios in the United States where farmers had saved GM seeds after harvesting a crop and had replanted those seeds the following year. The company who owned the patent for that seed took them to court, and won.

When farmers use non GM seeds, like heritage varieties that have been around for generations, they can collect their best seeds and sow them again.

"When you get a GM plant or GM seed it belongs to the company which has the patent on the seed. That then means the farmer can no longer, by law, go out into the paddock and collect the seed and sow it the next year," she said.

"Ultimately that means the farmer then has the reliance on the company to then buy that seed from the company every year. There's no sustainability in that, and it's an extra cost for farmers.

Federal senators will next month vote on a bill to reduce regulation around GM seeds and effectively deregulate the industry.

Slow Food Hunter Valley has already spoken out about its concerns - including the unknown long-term health implications on humans, and the animals who eat GM crops.

The group says scientific evidence shows new Genetically Modified (GM) techniques have risks attached to them that need to be assessed and managed by independent experts. It wants gene-edited organisms to go through a stringent safety assessment before they are released into supermarkets and the environment.

It has urged concerned shoppers to write to shadow health minister Chris Bowen and voice their concerns.

Ms Higgins said the GM conversation also prompted questions like "who owns the plants that we are eating?".

"The beautiful thing about the heritage varieties is that they are true to form. You plant it this year, you collect it and plant it next year and it will come back the same way as it was when it was planted this year," she said.

"If you've got a hybrid or genetically modified seed or plant you don't have quite the same experience, and in terms of the longevity of that plant and that species I've got concerns about that."

"It's s very much about community, and sharing experiences and creating longevity. There is a lot more to consider than just making growers buy a seed and chucking it in the ground ever year."