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| GE Free
New Zealand in Food & Environment, 30th October
2004
Referendum on GE-free Option Is Government's Best Antidote to Protests
The Public will continue to demand legal protection for GE-free
production in New Zealand and the government should hold a referendum
on the issue or face endless protest.
Even a year on from the lapse of the moratorium on commercial GM-release
more protesters appeared in the Wellington District Court on Friday
having been arrested at Parliament during a previous peaceful protest.
It is also the anniversary of the launch of the anti-GE People's
Moratorium Enforcement Agency, (PMEA), whose representatives have
recently toured the country.
"The issue of public concern has not gone away," says
Jon Carapiet from GE free NZ in food and environment. "GE commercial
release has huge implications for our nation.
"We do not want to see ordinary people protesting in the streets
again. It's time the government either committed to protecting GE
free production or held a referendum."
The Government should ensure "zero" tolerance and fund
improved testing-regimes, for all at risk seeds to remove GE-contaminated
seed. This supports New Zealand's economic interests and meets the
desire of the public to protect our GE-free status in food and the
environment. Those pushing for the zero-threshold to be abandoned
are threatening New Zealand's economic wellbeing as even low-level
contamination is a marketing and bio-security risk.
The recent case of Monsanto withholding results from animal trials
to smooth approval of a GE corn also reveals the food-approval regime
is flawed.
Particularly alarming is the absence of any protocols to allow recall
of GE foods like Monsantos' MON 863 corn should they be later found
to be harmful. Even low-level contamination for example by a pharmaceutical
crop, puts the public health at risk.
Until the system can cope with complete segregation and containment,
and until there is a national strategy focused on ethical uses of
gene technology not requiring environmental release, GE release
presents a real threat to New Zealand and the preservation of our
options.
In the light of the problems that have arisen overseas there is
no justification for external field-trials or commercial release.
It is clear organisations like NZFSA and ERMA must be legally required
to preserve GE-free production as the Royal Commission on GM advised.
Until this is done, backed by a referendum if need be- public concern
will continue to grow.
ENDS
Jon Carapiet 021 050 7681
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