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Changing the definition of GE in food would leave consumers in the dark

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Soil & Health Association stands firm against redefinition of gene technology in food standards

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release 6 September 2024

Aotearoa New Zealand – The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand has officially submitted its comprehensive response to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), rejecting Proposal P1055, which seeks to change the definition of genetic engineering technologies used in food production. The association also urges FSANZ to extend the consultation period by at least a month to allow for sufficient time to make submissions.

Charles Hyland, soil scientist and co-chair of the Soil & Health Association, says: “Redefining gene technology to exclude new breeding techniques (like gene editing) without proper labels and safety checks threatens our ability to choose what we eat. We stand for transparency and informed choices in food consumption, not ambiguity.”

Echoing this sentiment, Jenny Lux, organic producer and co-chair of Soil & Health, highlighted the potential impacts on the organic sector. “Introducing gene-edited products into our food system without clear labels could inadvertently lead organic foods to contain genetically engineered ingredients. This is unacceptable and undermines the trust consumers place in organic labels.”

“People are concerned not just about what’s in their food, but also about how it’s been produced. The  global market for non-GMO foods is growing.”

Philippa Jamieson, Soil & Health spokesperson on GE issues, emphasised the need for rigorous safety assessments. “Gene editing and NBTs bring significant risks and uncertainties. Any food product derived from these technologies must undergo stringent safety evaluations and be clearly labelled to ensure public health is not compromised.”

The Association also acknowledges the deep cultural, ethical, intellectual property and spiritual concerns associated with gene technology expressed by Te Ao Māori. Soil & Health aligns with the perspectives of our Treaty partner organisation, Te Waka Kai Ora, that the proposal does not support their cultural expressions and rights as guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The public is urged to participate actively in the consultation process by making individual submissions to FSANZ. The deadline for these submissions is the 10th of September 2024, at 8 PM New Zealand time. Submissions can be made via email or through the FSANZ consultation hub. The association encourages individuals to also communicate their concerns directly to MPs and through media channels to amplify their voice.

For further guidance on making submissions, or to read the full Soil & Health Association submission, please visit the Soil & Health Association website.

Contact:
Rebecka Keeling, Communications Specialist, Soil & Health Association of New Zealand  

Email: editor@organicnz.org.nz

Phone: 021 202 7664  
Website: www.soilandhealth.org.nz

Philippa Jamieson, Editor Organic NZ

Organic regenerative farming needed, not GE

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Our genetic engineering regulations are robust, protective, and must not be loosened, says the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand. 

“We need significant investment in organic, regenerative agriculture, rather than risky genetic technologies in the outdoor environment,” says Soil & Health spokesperson Philippa Jamieson. 

Genetic engineering techno-fixes – such as GE ryegrass – are not the solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. 

“It’s already been demonstrated that diverse, mixed species pastures reduce ruminant methane emissions, and are more resilient in the face of climate extremes,” says Philippa Jamieson. “Organic regenerative farming methods are free for all farmers to adopt, and they’re not under any patents.”

“By being GE-free, we’re far from ‘missing out’. Being GE-free gives us a point of difference in the world market.”

“Who is this GE product for? If customers and consumers are told the product is GE, none want it. Not even the rats in the warehouse. It adds no commercial brand value to growers or distributors. GE inclusion is hidden or secret for products to be sellable,” says David McNeill, Soil & Health National Council member. 

“We already have an advantage in being an island nation in the South Pacific, and need to be really careful about any uncontrolled releases of GMOs into the outdoors. Our products are attractive to overseas buyers because they’re seen as clean, safe, natural and uncontaminated. Once we release GMOs there’s no containing them. We need to continue to safeguard our environment and our brand,” says Philippa Jamieson.  
 
“Organic regenerative farming and growing practices result in lower greenhouse gas emissions, cleaner waterways, reduced soil erosion, increased biodiversity and more resilient ecosystems.”

Soil & Health urges all political parties not to loosen regulations on GE in Aotearoa New Zealand, and instead to direct energy and funding towards expanding organic farming methods here. 

Organic regenerative farming sequesters more carbon in the soil, and uses fewer costly inputs, empowering farmers. We need research centres dedicated to organic, regenerative agriculture and farmer extension programmes to build that knowledge in rural communities.

Genetic Engineering Webinar: What do Consumers Want? Navigating GE Issues with Jon Carapiet

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On 5th March 2024, the Soil & Health Association of NZ held an online webinar with Jon Carapiet, to discuss consumer issues around GE. This included the right to choose, labelling, traceability, and consumers overseas – our export markets. Scroll down to read more about the webinar and to access the full recording. If you benefited from this webinar, please consider donating to Soil & Health to support our vital work, details below.

Jon is a consumer advocate, market researcher and national spokesperson for GE Free NZ (in food and environment). For almost 20 years, Jon has spoken out about the need to moderate the powerful use of gene technology to protect New Zealand’s capacity to produce and sell non-GMO food and to protect the rights of consumers at home and overseas. As an advocate for Brand New Zealand, Jon draws on his years of experience as a senior market researcher and brand communications consultant. Jon has a Bachelor’s degree from Cambridge University and a Master’s from Auckland University, and as well as working in research, he is a keen photographer, regularly exhibiting his artwork.

Access the webinar here

The webinar can be viewed here: Jon Carapiet – 5th March 2024.

A copy of Jon’s PowerPoint presentation can be viewed here.

If you would like to view the other webinars in our GE series, please go to the GE Free Campaign page of our website.

Donate to support the vital work of Soil & Health

All webinars and events are free for all members of Soil and Health; otherwise we suggest a donation of $20. All funds go towards Soil & Health’s advocacy and campaign for a GE-free New Zealand, and are eligible for tax credits.

Make your donation by credit card: soilandhealth.org.nz/donate

Or transfer funds to our account: BNZ, account number: 02 0108 0058415 001
With the reference: GE donation

Food Sovereignty policy

GE-Free Zones partially protected in RMA amendments

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5th April 2017

The Soil & Health Association welcomes a change to the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill regarding genetic engineering, but says it still does not go far enough.

Yesterday the controversial RLA Bill passed the committee stage, meaning that amendments can no longer be made to the Bill. The Bill is now expected to have its third and final reading on Thursday.

However the controversial section 360D – known as ‘the dictator’ clause – has not been removed from the final version of the RLA Bill. This clause allows the Minister for the Environment to bypass parliament and make fundamental changes to the law if he deems council plans duplicate or deal with the same subject matter as central Government laws. Instead section 360D now contains an exemption that prevents the minister from imposing GM crops on regions that want their territorites to remain GM Free.

“We are pleased that the Maori Party has stood strong on their promises not to support the changes that would have allowed the Minister to strike out GE-free zones. We commend the Maori Party for this,” says Soil & Health chair Marion Thomson.

While section 360D is still in the final version of the Bill, the exemption means that the Minister cannot strike out GE-free zones.

“The word ‘crop’ has a wide definition and we understand that the Maori Party secured the amendment on the basis that the term also covers grasses and forestry, while the term ‘growing’ could also cover field trials and releases,” says Thomson.

Of concern for Soil & Health however is that the exemption does not apply to animals, meaning the Minister could override local authorities on any decisions about GE animals if he chose to.

“We have been kept on the edge of our seats through this long process and have had to keep faith in the Maori Party that they would do the right thing and not support the amendments that would abolish GM-free zones,” says Thomson.

“Ultimately we are happy with this result, while animals are not covered, GM grasses, forestry, field trials and releases are.”

 

Contact:  Karen Summerhays
Spokesperson, Soil & Health Association
021 043 7858

GE-FREE ZONES UNDER THREAT FROM RMA AMENDMENT

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The Government seems hell-bent on denying the rights of communities to have GE-free zones, which are under threat from a ‘dictator clause’, says the Soil & Health Association.

“We are continuing to stand by all the communities around New Zealand who, quite rightly, want to have control over what happens with GMOs in their regions,” said Marion Thomson, chair of Soil & Health.

Yesterday Parliament heard the second reading of the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill, which contains proposals that would allow Minister for the Environment Nick Smith to strip councils of their ability to create GE-Free food producing zones.

The Local Government and Environment Select Committee report on the Bill was released last week with the controversial section 360D still in the Bill.

Section 360D – known as ‘the dictator’ or ‘Henry VIII’ clause – would allow the Minister to bypass parliament and make fundamental changes to the law if he deems council plans duplicate or deal with the same subject matter as central Government laws.

Of further concern to the Soil & Health Association is the introduction of a new section – 43A(3A) – that would give the Minister another avenue to strike out local GE-free zones.

This new amendment was introduced at the select committee stage, meaning it wasn’t made available for public consultation.

“This latest move runs firmly against principles of natural justice and the democratic right of the public to have their say on matters that affect them,” said Marion Thomson.

The environment minister is looking to the Maori Party for the votes needed to get these anti-democratic provisions through.

However, during the reading yesterday Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox declared that they support achieving a GE Free New Zealand and that this has always been their policy.

In a letter to the Minister in December last year the Maori Party stated that it does not support changes to the RMA “if they extend to allowing the Minister to overrule a provision in a plan, for example, to have a GMO Free Zone.”

The Far North and Whangarei District Councils as well as Auckland Council have all prohibited the outdoor release of GMOs via their local plans, creating a GE-Free northern peninsula from the Bombay Hills to Cape Reinga.

“These council decisions have been driven by local communities and the mana whenua and iwi authorities in the regions. The Maori Party has made firm promises to stand by communities that want their territories to be GMO Free. We are confident that they will not go back on their word and that they will vote against the 360D and 43A clauses,” says Thomson.

Note to editors:
Nick Smith’s view that the EPA, not local councils, can control the release of GMOs has been found wrong by both the Environment Court and the High Court which have ruled that there is jurisdiction under the Resource Management Act for local councils to control the outdoor use of GMOs via regional policy instruments. The EPA approves, approves with controls, or turns down applications for genetically engineered organisms under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act. Councils can control, restrict or ban GMOs within their territories, under the RMA.

Contact:  Marion Thomson
Chair, Soil & Health Association
027 555 4014

Photo credit: Nick Holmes

GE/GM

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Genetic engineering (GE), also known as genetic modification (GM), is one of the most controversial technologies of recent times. Soil & Health has found no economic, health or environmental benefits from GE. There is great uncertainty around the adverse effects of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) on natural resources, ecosystems and also on human health. The risks are large and consequences could be irreversible. If GMOs were to be released into the environment, they can be very difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate. The GE-free food producer status of an individual, district or region would likely be permanently lost, along with any marketing advantages that status provides.

Current laws are inadequate to hold GMO users liable for any adverse consequences, intended or even if unintended. Therefore the public is likely to have to pay for anything that might go wrong.

The Soil & Health Association is opposed to the use of GE ingredients and GMOs in human and animal food, and is opposed to the outdoor use of any GE crops, animals and other organisms in Aotearoa New Zealand. We believe that we would do better for our farmers, environment and human health by retaining our market advantage of being GE free.

We support:

  • New Zealand remaining a GE-free country.
  • The establishment of GE-free regions, in the event of there being no Aotearoa New Zealand wide GE-free strategy.
  • Mandatory and comprehensive labelling for any products containing GE ingredients (including products from animals fed GE feed).
  • The precautionary principle and the imposition of strict conditions and severe penalties must be placed on any research and trialling of GE.
  • A ban on field-testing and production of GE crops, animals, trees and other organisms in New Zealand.
  • A ban of all GE food and animal feed imports into Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • Strong precautionary approach to new/novel technologies.

                                            Photo credit: Nick Holmes