Fonterra And Federated Farmers Owe it to New Zealand to Reject GE-feed
New Zealand needs dairy industry leaders to halt importation of GMO cattle-feed and move to secure and support our global market reputation for safe food.
There is a major threat to the reputation of New Zealand as a whole, from the dairy industry degrading the system with GE feed.
Eroding the integrity of the dairy food chain with GE soy, GE corn and GE cotton is a destroyer of Value. It is a betrayal of consumer Trust.
It destroys the confidence, trust and sense of security provided by natural grass-fed animals to consumers around the world, especially European markets.
There is a sense of wanting to keep farmers in the dark suggested by comments from Ministry of Primary Industries official, who said: �As these products are not for human consumption or for sowing as crops, they are not required to be labelled if they contain GM ingredients�.
Fonterra has also been duplicitous in it's statements to media (2). In March 2011 Jeremy Hill, Fonterra's group director of technology told the New Zealand Herald "We continually strive to minimise unintentional traces of GE content,� but did not comment on the use of GE in animal feed.
�It's a sell-out of our world-class image. The perpetrators owe it to the whole country to stop,� says Jon Carapiet from GE Free New Zealand in food and environment.
�The lack of transparency by large importers like Monsanto/ Cargill has placed farmers in an extremely compromised situation. International markets receiving their products believe they are GE-free, natural, and grass-fed.�
The damage accruing to New Zealand's dairy industry from use of GE feed may be slow and uninsurable for farmers, because of the insurance industry refusing cover.
�For New Zealand to sell its produce to the world we need businesses to act with authenticity and protect our GE Free status,� says Jon Carapiet.
�Those involved have cast doubt on our global reputation for food safety. Doubt is exactly what you don't want when it comes to building New Zealand's position in the world market.�
ENDS
National Spokesman - Jon Carapiet 0210507681
Claire Bleakley - 06 3089842 / 027 348 6731
1) http://straightfurrow.farmonline.co.nz/news/nationalrural/dairy/general/dairy-feeding-practices-food-for-thought/2629040.aspx
2) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10712065
3) Policies of major global companies specifically avoid GE ingredients.
"Goodman Fielder in Australia and New Zealand continues to review all ingredients used in our consumer products, and as much as technically possible works to eliminate ingredients derived through genetic modification, through substitution, sourcing from areas where non-genetically modified crops are grown and IP systems.
For example actions taken by companies included:
Products reformulated to remove genetically modified ingredients, e.g. removing soy fibre and replacing with wheat fibre.
Ingredients sourced from countries or areas which do not grow genetically modified crops, eg corn from New Zealand.
Ingredients sourced from suppliers that have identity preservation (IP) systems in place to segregate genetically modified and non-genetically materials
We have sourced ingredients from suppliers in line with our commitment not to provide food products that contain genetically modified material, which means that our products do not require labelling.� |
