Organics the only way to ensure purity of food

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“The failure of Proposition 37, the initiative requiring mandatory labeling of GMO’s, at the polls this week in California is a sad day for consumers” says Debbie Swanwick, Spokeperson for Soil & Health – Organic NZ.
Over $45 million dollars was funded by big Agri Tech and corporate America to sway voters which resulted in them securing a narrow victory.  Fifty three percent of voters opposed the initiative. Monsanto, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Kellogg, General Mills, DuPont, Bayer and other food and pesticide companies funded advertising and PR campaigns to stop labeling of their products. (2)

Organic products worldwide are labelled because doing so attracts customers who value pure food; free of GE, pesticides and additives. In NZ certified organic food is labelled as BioGro, Demeter, Organic Farm or AsureQuality.

“Big Agri tech keeping consumers in the dark by not labeling suggests not only do they not believe in what they sell but they recognize there could be a consumer backlash if GMO’s had to be labelled” says Swanwick.

“The fact they had to spend $45 million dollars says something else – it suggests public opposition to GMO’s in the US is strong – which is also true here” says Swanwick.

California grows 80% of all the fruits and vegetables in the US (3) and Prop 37 was seen as a testbed case for the US as a whole. (2)

Despite the loss, proponents of the initiative have vowed to fight on. (1) In addition to California many other states (including Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia and Washington) have also proposed legislation requiring that food labels bear information disclosing GE content. (4)

“The failure of Prop 37 paves the way for the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, to be tabled in December this year, to demand revocation of existing GMO labeling laws in New Zealand” says Swanwick.

“Since the 1960’s the only way to ensure the purity of food is to buy organic.  Legislation which permits big Agri tech to not disclose what is in their products is merely forcing more consumers to vote with their wallets which is why organic sales worldwide are increasing dramatically and forecast to double by 2015” says Swanwick.

Soil & Health is one of the oldest organic organisations in the world and promote GE free, organic, fresh and healthy food. Oranga Nuku, Oranga Kai Oranga Tangata.

References
(1) http://www.mercurynews.com/elections/ci_21949842/proposition-37-defeated…
(2) http://www.naturalnews.com/037873_Proposition_37_election_results_GMO_la…
(3) http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyregion/a/CAFruitsVeggies.htm
(4) http://www.marketplace.org/topics/sustainability/states-consider-labelin…

Fonterra shareholders livelihoods’ threatened

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Fonterra’s shareholders are being directly threatened by the admission that the use of GE ingredients is increasing in supplementary feed for dairy cattle.
“Currently only milk, supplied to Fonterra, from organically certified properties can be guaranteed to be free from exposure to the GE supplements” says Glenn Mead, Chairman, Organic Dairy and Pastoral Group.

Fonterra trades on New Zealand cows being fed ”lush green grass, year round” to produce high quality milk, which is exported to more than 100 countries around the world.  The discovery of GE meal rising in the food chain questions this claim.
Cows being fed GE-based supplements has not raised concern for Fonterra who recently commented that it does not impact on the status of the milk, and doesn’t require a change to the labelling requirements under New Zealand, Australian and European Union regulations.

“This attitude is very disappointing, as Fonterra has failed to acknowledge in this statement the customer.  Worldwide there are strong consumer concerns over GE.  Shareholders will carry the fiscal loss should a consumer backlash result. Farmers with no income protection insurance are the most vulnerable” says Debbie Swanwick, Spokesperson, Soil & Health – Organic NZ.

“It is important that all shareholders are protected from risk to their livelihoods and we ask that Fonterra enforces an immediate ban on all GE animal foods in their producers milk chain.  To ensure this we ask that Government put in place a policy to require labelling of all animal feed advising farmers of its GE status” says Swanwick.
Listed units in the Fonterra Shareholders fund went on sale today and trading on the NZX is expected to start on November 30. Reports suggest farmers are lukewarm on the ‘Trading Among Farmers’, TAF, prospectus launch.
Imported GE animal meal is controlled by Cargill, a Monsanto-owned grain and production company. Monsanto is the largest owner and developer of genetically engineered foods.
“The discovery of GE animal meal in NZ stock feeds suggests Monsanto/Cargill is frustrated with New Zealand’s GE safety regulations and has decided to circumnavigate the strict regulations and contaminate the animal food chain, destroying New Zealand’s GE free status” says Debbie Swanwick, Spokesperson, Soil & Health – Organic NZ.
‘Choice’ was strongly pushed by the vice chair of Federated Farmers, Dr. Rolleston recently yet such actions by a maverick element of GE proponents compromises that.  “As representatives of one of the largest consumer groups in NZ – farmers, Federated Farmers have yet to call for transparency on this issue. We will do it on behalf of NZ farmers.  Control should not be  given to an overseas interest to decide on their behalf” says Swanwick.
Soil & Health is one of the oldest organic organisations in the world and promote GE free, organic, fresh and healthy food. Oranga Nuku, Oranga Kai Oranga Tangata.

Organic NZ in demand in Asia

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The Soil & Health Association of NZ, publishers of Organic NZ, are to launch their publication in South Korea.

South Korea has a population of 50 million and is the fastest growing organic sector in Asia. Demand for organics is being largely driven by young families and health issues.  As a group, South Korean’s constitute the the third largest Asian population in New Zealand.

iSpring Ltd, publishers of the Korean edition, export NZ pure spring water and NZ Biogro certified skincare products to the Korean, Japanese and US markets.

Director Masateru Higashida established iSpring in 2011 in response to demand for clean, safe and pollutant free water following the earthquake in Japan.  Higashida’s move to NZ, two years ago, was prompted by concerns with skin allergies that affected his young children.

The launch of Organic NZ into South Korea gives the organization and NZ organic exporters access to a large, growing marketplace. Promoting New Zealand organic products, education and eco tourism opportunities builds on New Zealand’s clean, green image, which already has a high profile and strong demand in Asia.

“It is a compliment that the intellectual property of our organization, which has been built over 70 years, has been recognised and valued by iSpring Ltd,” says Marion Thomson, co chair of Soil & Health.

Supported by NZ Trade and Enterprise who have provided valuable mentoring, networks and support throughout the process, this is Organic NZ’s first sojourn into international distribution.

“This export initiative is an example of the sophistication of the organic market and demand in Asia. In South Korea organics is fully supported by the South Korean government,” says Brendan Hoare, chairman of Organics Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Organic NZ – Korean edition will comprise articles from the Organic NZ translated into Korean, and local Korean content, plus New Zealand and Korean advertising. The first issue will be distributed in late November 2012 throughout South Korea via bookstores, organic outlets and skincare clinics.

Soil & Health is one of the oldest organic organizations in the world and promote GE free, organic, fresh and healthy food. Oranga Nuku, Oranga Kai Oranga Tangata.

Time running out to save NZ’s GE Free environment

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Lisa Er, founder of Lisa’s Hummus, is fronting Soil & Health – Organic NZ’s “She’ll be right (if we say no to GMO’s)” campaign.

“Pressure to grow GE crops in NZ of late and the introduction of GE feed into our dairy cows diet is very concerning and compromises NZ’s clean green image” she says.

Recent media commentary suggests that neither farmers nor consumers were made aware of this infiltration of GE into the food chain.

“New Zealand’s clean green reputation is our competitive advantage especially in high growth markets such as China and South East Asia” says Er.

Lisa Er founded the successful Lisa’s Hummus, a company which built its competitive advantage on a product that was preservative and GE free.

“It is probable that an application will be made soon for the commercial release of a GE Ryegrass crop in our country and if that happens our GE free status and clean, green image will be lost forever” says Debbie Swanwick, Spokesperson for Soil & Health – Organic NZ.

The commercial release of GE crops in Australia in recent years has seen conventional and organic crops contaminated, giving big Agri Tech companies a monopoly on the food supply and removing consumer choice.

Safety is a key issue of anti GE campaigners.  No long term testing has been done on GE crops nor do any government regulatory bodies require it but a recent study conducted over  the lifespan of rats (two years) on rats by Professor Gilles-Eric Séralini of the University of Caen in France, has raised concern.  The study found that laboratory rats fed a diet of genetically modified (GM) Roundup-Ready maize developed liver and kidney damage , higher levels of cancers and had higher death rates than rats fed on non-GM maize.

“Feeding the world is the catchcry of GE advocates” says Swanwick, “but GE wont deliver on that promise.  We can feed the world now.  Forty percent of all food is wasted. Nor does GE increase production or revenue for farmers. The 2009 Failure to Yield report by the Union of concerned scientists proved this.  It does however improve the profits for big agri tech companies based offshore.  Last year Monsanto – one of the largest – made $6 billion dollars.”

The failure of BT corn crops in the US this year puts 65% of all corn grown in the US and the rest of the world at risk.  The rootworm which attacks the corn has, over a decade, developed a resistance to the inbuilt pesticide and is now attacking it.

“The increase in super weeds and super insects is leading us  towards an agricultural dead end and pesticide use is increasing to  cope” says Swanwick.

A report released by Charles Benbrook, a research professor at the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at Washington State University states that genetically engineered crops have led to an increase in overall pesticide use, by 404 million pounds from the time they were introduced in 1996 through 2011.

GE crops reduce biodiversity and their associated herbicides can harm birds, insects, amphibians, marine ecosystems and soil organisms.  In the past twenty five years 50% of honey bee populations have been lost in the UK and US alone from increased pesticide use.

Says Er “In 1987 David Lange and his government stood for the people of NZ, declaring our country a nuclear-free zone.  We are now asking New Zealanders to stand up for our country to be a clean green GE-free zone. We may be a little country but we have a big voice and New Zealanders are fiercely protective of their environment.”

Funds raised from the campaign will help Soil & Health – Organic NZ lobby key stakeholders and co-create policy to ensure NZ’s GE free status is not compromised, whilst encouraging government to fund research into organic sustainable agricultural practices.

Stanford ‘anti-organic’ study flawed

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“The recently released study by Stanford University questioning the benefits of organic food is flawed and fails to identify some key reasons why people eat organically” says Debbie Swanwick, Spokesperson for Soil & Health – Organic NZ.

The study which suggested the nutritional and health benefit of organics to be minimal has been criticised worldwide.

“It fails to consider that organics, which traditionally have proven to have between 10-30% more nutritional value, than conventional foods also have no additives which have proven health risks.  These include GMO’s, aspartame, fillers, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and BPA’s.  Seventy five percent of all GE crops are herbicide resistant, most to Roundup.  Roundup has been linked to DNA damage, infertility, cancer and over 29 other diseases and despite the studies suggestion that this residue in conventional crops is within safety limits there is no such thing” says Swanwick.

Pregnant women and fetuses have been harmed by low level exposure to organophosphate pesticides. “Eighty three percent of all GE crops are  grown in the US, a country which has a 41% incidence of cancer” she says.

Charles Benbrook a research professor at Washington State University cites the metrics used in the study as unusual and unfamiliar.

A statistical risk construct called ‘risk difference’ is used by researchers in the study to explain that there is only a 30% lower risk of pesticide residue in organic foods, which is inconsistent with Benbrooks’ own findings, that there is an 81% lower risk of pesticide residue in organic versus conventional foods.

The study also suggested that it was only 33% more likely that antibiotic-resistant bacteria would be present in conventionally raised pork and chicken versus organic alternatives.  Eighty percent of all the worlds antibiotics are given to animals.

Organic food production has been proven to benefit the environment with a reduction in pollutants, preservation of heritage seed crops and protection of biodiversity.  Bee populations in the US and UK have declined by as much as 50% in the past twenty five years due to pesticide use which has impacted their navigation abilities two studies by researchers from the French National institute for Agricultural Research and the Univerisities of Lancaster and Stirling have concluded. Two thirds of New Zealand food production relies on bees to pollinate plants.

The funding of the study and Stanford itself has also bought into question bias.  “Stanford has received over half a billion dollars in funding from big Agri Tech including such companies as Monsanto and it has been suggested that Goldman Sachs, Cargill, Monsanto and other players profiting from GE are behind this study” says Swanwick.

Ingram Olkin – a co-author of the study was an ‘anti science’ propagandist for Big Tabbaco in the seventies.

“Big Agri Tech has an agenda to denounce organics and it isn’t to benefit the environment, the health of individuals or increase sustainable production (as the Union of Concerned Scientists 2009 ‘Failure to Yield’ study – the definitive study to date in GM crops and yield, identified) – that is the agenda of the organics industry” says Swanwick.

Soil & Health – Organic NZ promote GE free, organic, fresh and healthy food.Oranga Nuku, Oranga Kai Oranga Tangata.

Minister’s ‘consumer choice’ decision praised

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Soil & Health – Organic NZ is praising Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson for making a strong stand on behalf of consumers.

The Minister explained last week why the fortification of bread with folic acid is to be voluntary and not mandatory. “Consumer choice is more important than science when it comes to deciding on folic acid in bread” she said.

 

“It is inspiring that she has set this precedent and made a strong stand for the consumer” says says Debbie Swanwick, Spokesperson for Soil & Health – Organic NZ. “The same stand has been made for organics” she says.  NZ legislation currently prohibits GE crops to be commercially grown here.”

 

If GE crops where to be grown in New Zealand they would cross-contaminate organic and conventionalalternatives (as they have in Australia) giving big Agri tech companies, such as Monsanto, a monopoly on our food supply and removing consumer choice” says Swanwick.

 

Swanwick’s comments come after a GE Free New Zealand demonstration in Rotorua in the weekend attended by over a hundred people. The demonstration was held in response to the opening of the XII international Agricultural Biotech Conference, being held from 2-6 September, which has reignited debate on GE crops being grown in NZ.

 

The catch cry of GE advocates is that increased yields from GE crops will feed the world, control soaring food prices and produce economic benefit to New Zealand famers.

 

“But all of these promises are hot air” says Swanwick. “The world currently wastes a third of its food.  Food delivery is an economics issue not a production issue and to date no farmer (or consumer) has ever benefited from GE crops.  Research that suggests otherwise or invalidates the benefits of  organics has in the past been commissioned and/or funded by these big Agri tech companies” says Swanwick. “A food monopoly will drive food prices up even more as these food giants will have free reign to set the price of food and tell us what to eat.”

 

Rising costs in GE production including increasing use of herbicides with a failure to yield as identified in the The Union of Concerned Scientists’ 2009 report Failure to Yield―the definitive study to date on GM crops and yield, explains why farmers aren’t benefiting. Between 1996 and 2008, US farmers sprayed an extra 383 million pounds of herbicide to combat pests who had built up a resistance to GE crops.

 

“The recent failure of BT corn crops in the US is a further testament to this” says Swanwick. The rootworm which has developed a resistance to the insecticide, now free to attack, puts more than half of the corn grown in North America, and much of the rest of the world, at risk.

 

“NZ’ers aren’t luddites as suggested by Graeme Peters Chief EXecutive of AgCarm in the media this week. Our government, farmers and the general public are very well researched on the topic and prudent.  They recognize genetic terrorists masquerading as Prince Charming professing that we will all live happily ever after with GE crops.  GE is nothing but a bad fairytale, especially should crops fail and we are left with no other choices and an agricultural dead end”. says Swanwick.

 

Soil & Health – Organic NZ promote GE free, organic, fresh and healthy food.Oranga Nuku, Oranga Kai Oranga Tangata.

THE EVIDENCE AGAINST GENETIC ENGINEERING

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The evidence against genetic engineering

  • GE foods are not safe! Genetic engineering as used in crop development is not precise, predictable or safe. Unexpected toxins or allergens can be produced in food.
  • We are already eating untested GE foods! No long-term toxicological testing of GMOs on animals or testing on humans is required by any regulatory agency in the world.
  • GE foods are harmful for humans and animals! GE foods have not been tested on humans. They have been tested on animals and shown disturbances in liver and kidney function and immune responses.
  • GE crops INCREASE harmful herbicide use! Over 75% of GE crops are engineered to tolerate applications of herbicides. This has led to massive increases in herbicide use. Roundup, the most widely used herbicide, is NOT safe. It causes birth defects, reproductive problems, DNA damage, and cancer in test animals. Scientists have found an association between Roundup exposure in humans and miscarriage, birth defects, neurological development problems, DNA damage, and certain types of cancer.
  • Insect pests are becoming resistant to GE crops! Pests are becoming resistant to the Bt toxin in GE crops, and secondary pest infestations are becoming common.
  • GE crops will not feed the world! GE crops do not offer higher yields or cope better with drought than GE-free crops.
  • GE crops reduce farmer choice! Once GE companies gain control of the seed market, they withdraw GE-free seed varieties from the market.
  • GE crops reduce consumer choice! GE contamination of GE-free and organic crops has resulted in massive financial losses by the food and feed industry, involving product recalls, lawsuits, and lost markets.
  • Conventionally bred, locally adapted and organic crops are better and safer than GE! Conventional breeding, which continues to outstrip genetic engineering in producing high-yielding, pest- and disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and nutritionally improved super-crops.

Source: “GMO Myths and Truths”, by Michael Antoniou et al.  HYPERLINK “http://earthopensource.org/index.php/reports/58″ 
Soil & Health / Organic NZ supports healthy, organic GE-free food and farming.

Consumers getting a raw deal about raw milk

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“Repeated misinformation about the safety of raw milk and the fact it is limited to farm gate sales, which gives limited access to city dwellers, is giving the consumer a raw deal” says Debbie Swanwick Spokesperson for Soil & Health – Organic NZ.

The sale of raw milk has been permitted in New Zealand for several decades. Section 11a of the Food Act 1981 allows for people to purchase 5 litres daily of raw milk who intend to consume it themselves or provide it to their families.

“Raw milk is harvested under an approved Risk Management Programme under the Animal Products Act 1999 and NZ herds are TB tested. Sales would be totally prohibited if there any were issues around its safety” says Swanwick.

Some city dwellers have overcome access to raw milk by developing ‘raw milk clubs’ which are on the increase, but despite consumer demand, the latest reforms propose  that they will be shut down.

A new initiative could ease issues of access to raw milk for this demographic. Mark and Phillipa Houston imported an automatic milk dispenser from Italy and have begun selling raw milk from their farm in Clifton.  In Italy, unlike New Zealand, it is legal to sell raw milk to city dwellers.  Their story is detailed in this month’s issue of Organic NZ. The Houstons used to supply Fonterra from their farm in South Canterbury before downsizing.

Despite recurring dialogue from government agencies about the safety of raw milk The Health Research Council (a government agency) funded a $1.2 million, three year study last year to ascertain if unpasteurised milk helps the body develop an immune response. Prior studies of farmers children who drink raw milk has proven that there is an increased protection against asthma and other allergies. One in four New Zealand children have asthma.

Histamines are a by-product of the process of pasteurisation which  kills bacteria.  They are not found in raw milk. Many asthmatics find that when raw milk is drunk regularly, they have no or few asthma attacks.

In October 2011 a consultation document on raw milk reforms, produced by the Ministry of Primary Industries, received 1670 submissions from stakeholders. “Unfortunately the fact that city dwellers don’t have access to raw milk and there is a limited number of raw milk consumers stifles a healthy debate on the issue from a good cross-section of the country” says Swanwick.

New Zealand supermarkets sell more than 1.7 billion litres of pasteurized and homogenized milk every year.

“By regulating raw milk sales government seems to be  choosing to protect the interests of corporate profits rather than enabling consumer choice.  City dwellers in ‘raw milk clubs’ recognize the value of raw milk both with additional health benefits and also with the cost (typically half that of commercially sold milk) which is why they go to great  lengths to purchase it” says Swanwick.

MPI is still undertaking a detailed analysis of all submissions and the policy options, and is formulating advice for the Minister for Food Safety.

Soil & Health – Organic NZ promote GE free, organic, fresh and healthy food.Oranga Nuku, Oranga Kai Oranga Tangata.

Monsanto A Threat to NZ’s Homeland Security

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“Biotech companies are still trying to push their flawed and failed genetically engineered technology onto New Zealand farmers despite markets around the world not wanting to buy it” says Debbie Swanwick, Spokesperson for Soil & Health – Organic NZ.

The XII conference for International Biotechnology, being held at the Energy Events Centre in Rotorua from 2-6 September, signals a significant threat to New Zealand’s future. “One of the key issues these companies will be espousing at this event is genetic terrorism against our food supply, economy and natural assets” says Swanwick.

Monsanto’s VP Biotechnology, Prof Robert Reiter, is one of ten keynote speakers at the conference which also includes representatives from Du Pont and Swiss-based investment firm Festel Capital.

Monsanto has a worldwide reputation as the Darth Vader of agriculture. Despite industry propaganda from this sector, touting GE crops as safe and promising that cross contamination of organic and conventional crops will be prevented, experience overseas shows quite the opposite.

Some Australian farmers lured into the promise of a safe product returning high revenues, are finding their GE crops harder to sell even at lower prices than GE-free crops.

“The only profits from the Australian farmer experience went straight back to Monsanto. Cross-contamination of farms has pitched neighbour against neighbour and Monsanto is now dictating terms of how farmers grow their crops and run their farms – they are, so to speak, Monsanto farmers,” says Swanwick.

This month two Australian farmers, Julie Newman and Bob Mackley, toured New Zealand with Green MP Steffan Browning, to warn against GE and educate farmers and the public on the subject.

Monsanto has purported, in the past, the safety of Agent Orange, PCBs, and DDT. Now they are promoting GE food crops designed to be sprayed with 2,4 D, an ingredient of Agent Orange.

“This hui (meeting) is happening in one of the most beautiful regions of New Zealand that all kiwis consider a taonga (treasure), yet the introduction of GE crops would damage our clean green image and tourist industry. The General Manager of Scion recently suggested Rotorua could benefit from GE crops, but the only benefactor from GE crops are corporate bottom lines,” says Swanwick.

Scion is one of the conference sponsors and one of the two Crown research institutes still conducting GE trials (with GE pine trees).Millions of New Zealand taxpayer dollars have been sunk into GE trials, with absolutely no benefits. Soil & Health wants such funding to go into researching and developing truly sustainable organic farming and forestry systems.

“As a group we are not anti biotechnology – we are pro consumer and the commercial release of GE in New Zealand would destroy our choice to eat healthy, GE-free food and denigrate the mana whenua of our people. It could also compromise our exports and $20 billion tourism industry born of our clean, green image – which many people in Rotorua and Aotearoa rely on,” says Swanwick.

GE crops reduce biodiversity and their associated herbicides can harm birds, insects, amphibians, marine ecosystems and soil organisms.

Soil & Health – Organic NZ will be holding a public vigil at the XII International Biotechnology Conference from 12 noon on Saturday 1st September to 4pm Sunday 2nd September.To register your interest in attending this event please contact 09 419 4536 or email, advocacy@organicnz.org.nz.

New Zealanders won’t tolerate more GE food

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It seems a David vs Goliath battle yet one that New Zealanders repeatedly engage in and win – our right to freedom: whether from nuclear power or legislation that eases the way for more GE food in our food chain.

So, it should come as no surprise that the recent legal ramifications of The Food Bill have created such a public outcry. “While the purpose of the Act is Food Safety, amendments in the latest draft compromise that,” says Soil and Health Association spokesperson Debbie Swanwick.

In the latest draft of the bill, ‘genetic modification of food’, which had been on a list of things requiring food safety consideration under the minister’s regulatory power, was deleted. Now it is up to the trans-Tasman body Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to determine the safety of GE foods and to date, they have approved all of the 53 applications of 71 GE plant lines.

“New Zealanders won’t tolerate our food chain being compromised further by legislation that enables GE food producers easy access to our markets. We need the initial wording reinstated into legislation to secure the safety of our food,” Swanwick says.

The compliance costs of the bill on small organic growers could also disadvantage consumers, whose choice could become skewed toward nutrient-poor GE food produced by multi-nationals because organic growers are being financially ousted by bureaucracy.

The Food Bill 160-2 (2010) raises many issues – food sovereignty being only one. The level of force allowed by food safety officers, their immunity from prosecution and the powers of the minister are others.

The bill has been awaiting its second reading in parliament since February of this year.

Soil & Health – Organic NZ has an Organic 2020 vision – for a GE Free food and environment with clear choice of what is consumed.

Oranga nuku – oranga kai – oranga tāngata. Healthy soil – Healthy food – Healthy people.