The government has an ideal opportunity for a rethink of New Zealand’s health choices, with the placing of the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill (TPMB) at the bottom of the Parliamentary Order Paper on Tuesday, according to the Soil & Health Association.
Community opposition to the Bill remains very high, and Soil & Health has received 1600 signatures through a modest appeal to members and friends over the last two weeks. Thousands have signed other petitions and hundreds attended last weekend’s Auckland rally against the TPMB.
Today, Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning presented Green Party MP Sue Kedgley with the indicative signatures. “We all understand the issues are complex,” he said, “but there is an overriding concern from our members that they do not want any regulatory system controlled from Australia and they do not want to lose the choice of the natural products that they have at present.”
“One signatory, a 71 year old great grandmother who has successfully used herbal products, vitamins and minerals since 1980, finished a message with, ’We are mature enough & dare I say it wise enough to keep it right in New Zealand.’”
“One method of achieving this may be through a New Zealand Office of Natural Health Products, such as proposed by the Natural Health Alliance,” said Browning. “Their draft concept has a regulatory structure for consumer protection while keeping compliance costs low for producers.”
“With nanotechnology and genetic engineering being used in the production of some so-called therapeutic goods, it is important that we have strict guidelines, but also that they have the support of and input from New Zealand consumers and natural therapists, through a structure such as suggested by the Natural Health Alliance.”
“Consumer choice is increasingly being removed and unwanted additives are being included because New Zealand bureaucrats are chasing free trade agreements and international harmonisation of food and health standards (through Codex, CER and FSANZ, WTO and others). Soil & Health suggests that each agreement maintains full domestic opt-out clauses, and has better local consumer input,” said Browning.
Please Find Below the Draft Proposal by the Natural Health Alliance.
TO ESTABLISH AN Office of Natural Health Products New Zealand (onhpnz)
Mission Statement
Our mission is to make New Zealand’s health care sustainable into the future by becoming a world leader in the regulation of Natural Health Products resulting in New Zealand being the country recognised as having the Healthiest People on Earth.
Goal for New Zealand
To develop and maintain a sustainable health policy based on a wellness paradigm. To establish an appropriate regulatory environment for Natural Health and dietary supplement products.
To establish a Centre of Excellence for Natural Healthcare that will optimise the health of New Zealand consumers; address the escalating costs of health care in an ageing population; maximise a New Zealand wellness brand and secure New Zealand’s place in the global market – all resulting in a sustainable, innovative Health and Wellness industry lead economy.
New Zealand Health in the Future
The Natural Health Alliance believes that optimised health and disease prevention through the use of Natural health products and health promotion can substantially improve the quality of life. One of the greatest concerns of the OECD countries is the escalating cost for health care in an ageing population, especially for medication resulting from fundamental weaknesses in the present illness model of Health policy. This model is predicted to cripple many countries and individuals. To this end, the Office should be committed to meeting the challenges of tomorrow by supporting research into the health benefit properties of low risk and low cost Natural Products (especially New Zealand herbs and flora)
Export Led Wellness Economy
New Zealand exports of natural products and ingredients have the potential to exceed imports. New Zealand due to its isolation has unique herbs and ingredients – some of which are recognised as world leaders. Having a unique Natural health Products (NHP) regulator will give New Zealand the opportunity to foster entrepreneurial companies exporting unique leading natural health products.
The Natural Health Alliance recommends that:
1. A separate Office of Natural Health Products New Zealand (ONHPNZ) be established that:
a) Is separate and independent from the Pharmaceutical Regulatory office,
b) Develops an appropriate risk-based regulatory framework that ensures consumers have freedom to choose quality natural health products and good information about those products to assist in making informed choices, whilst protecting philosophical and cultural diversity,
c) Is headed by a person with experience and expertise in Natural Health Products as the Canadians have done in appointing a Doctor of Naturopathy as head of the Natural Health Directorate of Health Canada; and
d) Is also staffed with personnel qualified and experienced in natural health products.
2. Twenty percent of ONHPNZ national health and medical research funding be directed towards research projects into natural health products.
3. A Centre of Excellence of Natural Healthcare be established with industry, Maori and consumers in partnership to focus on research, education and economics with objectives similar to those of the US Office of Dietary Supplements.
4. A cost-benefit study be conducted into the potential cost savings from greater use of natural health products be undertaken.
5. An on-line consumer information service be established in consultation with industry to provide consumers with balanced, factual information on natural health products.
6. A rebate for all natural health products and services be negotiated with private health insurance providers.
7. A Natural Health Products Advisory Committee be established to provide expert advice on natural health products and alternative health practices to the Minister and regulatory bodies.
8. An adverse event reporting system for NHPs to monitor trends and emerging safety issues and that such reports be assessed by a Committee of persons with knowledge and expertise in natural healthcare.
9. That the cost of the regulator be at least 50% subsidized by the New Zealand government as New Zealand will gain through the significant cost savings coming from a wellness health care system. Cost recovery system to recover only those costs that relate to regulatory services to the Industry.
10. Penalties and fines for breaches of the NHP standards to be set at appropriate levels that would be normal for this level of breach in accordance with similar used in the Food Industry in New Zealand.
11. Research into the health benefits of our Native Natural flora and fauna be sponsored by the Government to establish the active ingredients and confirm the benefits that have been discovered anecdotally over many years of use .The published research will help develop a good research based industry in New Zealand and the evidence to support the development of the New Zealand Natural Health Brand Internationally.
12. The government to promote the use of NHPs as a means of improving the nation’s Health and reducing the escalating cost of healthcare in an aging population.
Aspartame: an inconvenient truth
/in Food, Health, Media ReleasesGroups campaigning about the dangers of the artificial sweetener aspartame are disappointed that the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is shooting the messenger rather than listening to the message.
The Soil & Health Association and the Safe Food Campaign have been hosting international aspartame expert Betty Martini at media and public meetings in New Zealand. Betty Martini has been researching the artificial sweetener for over 15 years and has the authoritative 1000 page medical text Aspartame: An Ignored Epidemic by Dr HJ Roberts dedicated to her.
“The NZFSA say they want to scrutinise evidence-based research on this controversial sweetener, yet they refused to meet Betty Martini who has every bit of evidence they publicly ask for, and who had already supplied relevant references to the authority, ahead of her New Zealand visit,” said Soil & Health spokesperson, Steffan Browning. “It seems NZFSA would rather dodge an inconvenient truth by attempting to discredit the expert.”
“Aspartame has never been proven safe,” stated Alison White of the Safe Food Campaign. “On the contrary, very reputable scientists and doctors have testified their grave concerns about the range of adverse health effects this dangerous and addictive neurotoxin is associated with. The corruption and scandal associated with the registration of aspartame in the US and UK is a matter of public record. It remains on the market today because of addiction, profit and greed.”
Aspartame was first registered in the US in 1981 because a political appointee overruled the objections of scientists. It was only registered in the UK in 1984 because the manufacturers made a deal with Professor Paul Turner of Food Standards, who pushed it through without approval. The subsequent eruption of a scandal in parliament did not, however, result in aspartame being withdrawn. Several of the EU panel of scientists reviewing aspartame in 2004 have connections to the manufacturers, and as a result, ignored many independent studies showing harm.
“NZFSA continues to claim that aspartame is one of the most studied substances in the world, yet they conveniently brush aside the fact that all industry-funded studies do not show a problem, but the overwhelming majority of independent studies do,” added Steffan Browning.
“Of 166 studies felt to have relevance for questions of human safety, 74 had Nutrasweet (an aspartame brand) industry related funding and 92 were independently funded. One hundred percent of the industry funded research attested to aspartame’s safety, whereas 92% of the independently funded research identified a problem.”
“Should sugar be undesirable, Soil & Health recommends natural alternatives such as stevia, rather than the neurotoxic synthetic sweeteners such as aspartame.”
“Because of the publicity given to Abby Cormack and her poisoning with sugar free chewing gum, many similar harrowing and heart-rending stories from other aspartame sufferers have come to light,” said Alison White. “All of them have noted a marked improvement in their health once they have come off aspartame. Because of our concern over the unnecessary suffering of people who are often unknowingly taking in this addictive drug, we have launched a petition that calls for restrictions and warning labels ahead of a ban.”
Notes:
Aspartame (951, Equal, Nutrasweet) is an artificial sweetener found in over 6000 products including diet drinks, sugar free products, dietary supplements, sports drinks and medications.
Betty Martini had responded to a July 5 NZFSA media release that expressed confidence in aspartame. Both are found athttp://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/73297/index.php
In this link there is also a UK Guardian article from 1984 detailing the industry links of Paul Turner of Food Standards.
NZFSA and New Zealand Nutrition Foundation short on credibility
/in Food, GE, Health, Media Releases“It is time people retired or were fired from the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) so New Zealanders might be given independent and reliable information about food safety,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning today, adding that, “the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation was also a food industry mouthpiece lacking credibility.”
“The information coming to the public from these two organisations is consistently big food industry based, while the real independent and credible research, that damns artificial sweetener aspartame’s safety, is consistently ignored or crudely glossed over.”
“Yesterday both agencies effectively used the Washington based food industry mouthpiece, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) for their media release wording and spin, while attempting to defend the use of the neurotoxin aspartame as a sweetener. However they failed to mention who is funding IFIC.”
Examples of IFIC supporters in 2002 were:
* Archer Daniels Midland Company
* Aventis CropScience
* BASF
* Burger King Corporation
* Cargill, Incorporated
* The Coca-Cola Company
* Dow AgroSciences, LLC
* DuPont Agricultural Products
* Frito-Lay, Inc.
* General Mills, Inc.
* Gerber Products Company
* Hershey Foods Corporation
* H. J. Heinz Company
* Kellogg USA, Inc.
* Kraft Foods
* McDonald Corporation
* Monsanto Company
* The Pepsi-Cola Company
* Nestle USA, Inc.
* Taco Bell Corporation
* The Procter & Gamble Company
* Syngenta
* Unilever Bestfoods
“Soil & Health challenges NZFSA and the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation to a public debate on the issue. Overwhelming evidence of corruption of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when it approved aspartame for the food chain, and the well documented deceit by then aspartame manufacturer, drug company G.D. Searle, is at odds with significant independent research showing serious health risks from aspartame use, and a public forum is warranted.”
“It is dismaying that organisations that should have the publics trust, are, despite what they say, not actually assessing the weight of sound, scientific evidence that surrounds aspartame,” said Browning. “Does the Deputy Chief Executive of NZFSA want the agony suffered by many New Zealanders from this poison to reach even greater proportions?
The protection of food industry aspartame pedlars makes the NZFSA and New Zealand Nutrition Foundation culpable for the harm that aspartame sufferers endure here.”
“Thanks to the research and the support of visiting international anti-aspartame expert Betty Martini, Soil & Health has further significant evidence to support its call for a ban on aspartame in New Zealand.”
“NZFSA refused to meet with Betty Martini, yet following publicity of Wellington woman Abby Cormack’s aspartame poisoning symptoms, and the information provided through public meetings and the media by Betty Martini, people already have benefited significantly by removing aspartame from their lives.”
“In the very first instance NZFSA and school boards should be removing aspartame from schools, as is happening in other parts of the world where the harm of aspartame is recognised. The majority of health professionals do not recommend the taking of aspartame when they become aware of the recognizable symptoms in affected patients.”
Soil & Health is grateful for the knowledge and enthusiasm that Betty Martini has contributed.
Toxins OK for Kiwi kids but not for export beef?
/in Farming, Food, Health, Media ReleasesThe Soil & Health Association supports the New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s (NZFSA) tracing and successful prosecution of a farmer who misused the neurotoxic insecticide endosulphan on cattle, and now Soil & Health wants NZFSA to take the neurotoxic artificial sweetener aspartame out of schools.
“Both chemicals affect the human nervous system. One also affected New Zealand’s exports when misused, and the other affects the health of New Zealand’s children and community, but NZFSA is focused on supporting the economic base of the food industry and actual food safety comes a significant second best,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.
An Auckland farmer was fined $15,000 yesterday for using endosulphan as a non-approved animal spray on cattle, following a breach of international standards of endosulphan in beef exports to Korea. The breach caused a suspension of exports to Korea.
NZFSA down played the health risks of endosulphan, which is banned in many countries, when the endosulphan residue was found, and yesterday said that there were no human health issues. NZFSA continues to defend endosulphan use in horticulture, although this highly toxic insecticide has been linked to breast cancer, hormonal disruption, mimicking oestrogen and producing infertility, as well as foetal, gene, neurological, behavioural and immune system damage even at very low doses.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) is to reassess the use of endosulphan in New Zealand within a year and has acknowledged a wide range of toxicities and the increasing banning and restrictions against the use of the pesticide. Significantly, agrichemical giant Bayer did not wish to provide data to support endosulphan’s continued use in New Zealand.
“Soil & Health accepts the importance of NZFSA in ensuring New Zealand exports meet overseas requirements, but wants the agency to lift its performance in protecting New Zealand’s citizens, especially children, from the synthetic and often toxic food additives and pesticides, such as aspartame and endosulphan,” said Browning.
“To achieve our children’s protection, NZFSA must work with Food Safety Minister Annette King to get aspartame away from schools, then phase these neurotoxins out of the food chain. This will require a change from the slavish reliance on automatic acceptance of overseas food safety agency decisions from industry-produced science. Reputable and independent science has shown the very real risks of aspartame and endosulphan, but to date NZFSA trots out acceptance of corrupted research, rather than rock big business’s toxic boat.”
Soil & Health and the Safe Food Campaign have been hosting Betty Martini, international anti-aspartame campaigner and expert from the USA, and Wellington aspartame sufferer Abby Cormack, to public meetings in Christchurch and Wellington, with Auckland’s Thursday 2nd August 7-30pm at the Auckland Medical School, 85 Grafton Road.
Soil & Health is also calling for school boards to pull aspartame from school canteens and vending machines for 60 days to test for behavioural and health improvements in pupils.
“The increasing incidence in obesity, depression, anxiety, and behavioural problems has been linked to aspartame use, and a range of negative health symptoms including headaches, rashes and cramps can be expected to reduce with an aspartame gap,” said Browning. “Diet drinks and sugar-free food products generally contain aspartame, and contrary to fighting obesity, are likely to aggravate the condition.”
“Soil & Health has a motto of Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy People, and promotes a diet free from synthetic additives.”
School Test: Dump the Diet Coke
/in Food, Health, Media ReleasesSoil & Health wants schools to try a 60-day diet beverage and sugar-free gum break to test for pupil behaviour improvement. Diet and sugar-free products often contain the neurotoxin aspartame.
“With increasing behavioural, mental health and obesity issues in the community, also prevalent in our schools, it is timely that visiting anti-aspartame expert Betty Martini’s simple 60 aspartame free days experiment be tried,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.
“Aspartame consumption has been linked to many health symptoms, including those expressed as ADHD, anxiety, depression, irritability, confusion, memory loss, insomnia, dizziness, migraines, cramps, abdominal pain, numbness or tingling of extremities, rashes, chronic fatigue, and personality changes. These same symptoms are increasingly expressed among our young people, and a short spell without aspartame may assist with a marked improvement in quality of life for some, and their families and teachers.”
“60 days aspartame free has been recommended for identifying more subtle health effects, although Diet Coke and Wrigleys gum consumer, Abby Cormack, recently had immediate benefit from her severe aspartame poisoning symptoms when she stopped aspartame intake.”
“ Unfortunately many schools, while concerned with sugar in their rapidly growing obese students, have retained aspartame containing diet drinks in the school canteens,” said Browning, “Yet aspartame through its action on serotonin can increase the desire for carbohydrates, aggravating the obesity problem. Serotonin depletion is also directly linked with depressive disorders ”
“Corruption of political process has allowed aspartame to be allowed into the food chain, even though as far back as 1985, the USA Congressional Record, Senate, S – 5511, recorded this statement:
“Aspartame has been demonstrated to inhibit the carbohydrate-induced synthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin (Wurtman affidavit). Serotonin blunts the sensation of craving carbohydrates and this is part of the body’s feedback system that helps limit consumption of carbohydrate to appropriate levels. Its inhibition by aspartame could lead to the anomalous result of a diet product causing increased consumption of carbohydrates.””
“Withdrawing diet drinks and other sugar-free labelled products from school canteens, as is increasingly happening in the USA and Europe, is a must for New Zealand. A trial period by schools is the least Boards of Trustees can do to improve the health of their students and the effectiveness of the teaching staff,” said Browning.
Soil & Health and the Safe Food Campaign are hosting Betty Martini, international anti-aspartame campaigner and expert from the USA, and Wellington aspartame sufferer Abby Cormack, to public meetings at Wellington Central Public Library, Mezzanine Floor 6-8pm today, Tuesday 31 July, and Auckland Thursday 2nd August 7-30pm at the Auckland Medical School, 85 Grafton Road.
GE food safety tests not up to scratch
/in Food, GE, Media ReleasesAnother GE corn has been recommended to be approved as safe for human consumption by Food Standards Australia New Zealand. But the food safety trials used were flawed,and new ones need to be developed, according to the Soil & Health Association. The high lysine corn (LY038) was compared not with regular corn, as should be the case, but with another variety of GE corn, on the basis that this was already approved.
The animal feed corn has been engineered to produce high concentrations of lysine,to promote animal growth. Monsanto has only carried out feeding tests on chickens and rats eating raw corn, but the corn would be cooked when included in processed food for human consumption. When cooked, this corn produces toxic compounds that have been associated with several human illnesses, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
A decision to either support or reject the FSANZ review recommendation is expected to be released on Monday by the Australasian Ministerial Council, including Food Safety Minister Annette King. The New Zealand Minister had requested the review following an earlier FSANZ recommendation.
“We call on the New Zealand Government to reject the decision. We do not need to follow poor Australian analysis and interpretation of research codes of practice as has happened on this occasion,” said Soil and Health spokesperson, Steffan Browning.
“Soil & Health is conscious of the anger in the community against this incremental moving of international food safety goalposts promoted by the very companies that in turn apply for the introduction of novel and risky foods,” said Mr Browning.
“New Zealanders are rejecting trans-Tasman decisions relating to food safety and health care as shown by opposition to previous FSANZ and Ministerial Council acceptance of GE foods, and also the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill,” said Mr Browning.
“Decisions based on inadequate and biased food studies are not acceptable, and New Zealand needs to reclaim control over food safety testing and its food supply.”
“Soil & Health has a vision of an Organic 2020. Commitment by New Zealand’s leaders to a sustainable future and healthy community should target growth in organic production and reject risky GE foods such as LY038 high lysine corn.”
NZFSA refuses to meet Betty Martini
/in Food, Health, Media ReleasesThe Soil & Health Association and Safe Food Campaign are calling for the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) to meet with visiting aspartame expert Dr Betty Martini.
Dr Martini has been refused entry at NZFSA today, even though Alison White of Safe Food Campaign has an aspartame presentation along with aspartame sufferer Abby Cormack. NZFSA have also discounted any future possible meeting with senior staff or scientists by Martini, which calls into question the purpose of NZFSA,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.
“The carcinogenic, neurotoxin sugar alternative aspartame has been implicated in many serious illnesses and NZFSA is putting its head in the sand over this issue. Dr Martini has had access to top EU and UK officials so she should be able to get the same access in New Zealand.”
Martini who has the ear of all the main scientist players in the international anti-aspartame debate – Drs Soffritti, Roberts, Blaylock, Olney, and Cabot, is being hosted in New Zealand by Soil & Health Association and Safe Food Campaign.
Dr Martini was invited to New Zealand in the wake of Abby Cormack’s well publicised poisoning with sugar free chewing gum.
“Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) who set the actual food standard for aspartame in New Zealand have yet to respond to a meeting request. A meeting would show that these agencies are capable of considering resisting the influences of the international pharmaceutical and food giants, and their dubious food safety assertions,” said Alison White, Co-convenor of Safe Food Campaign.
“Dr Martini is able to refute the aspartame misinformation that NZFSA promulgates, and she has documented proof that the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration), which NZFSA slavishly accepts, knew of the cancer causing and other serious health properties of aspartame.”
Public meetings are planned in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.
Successful Therapeutics Campaign needs to push further
/in Food, Health, Media Releases, Organic CommunityThe success of the community in stalling the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill needs to be extended to rolling back Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) decisions allowing risky additives in food, according to the Soil & Health Association.
The Government admitted yesterday that it currently could not get the Therapeutics Bill through Parliament. This comes at a time when there are big questions about the decision by FSANZ allowing the artificial sweetener Aspartame into the food chain, and when the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is unable to control a baby food manufacturer’s use of un-assessed additives.
“Soil & Health congratulates the thousands of therapeutic products consumers and producers who signed our petition opposing a trans-Tasman agency that would have regulated natural products and supplements,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.
“Agencies such as FSANZ and NZFSA appear to operate mostly to facilitate trade, and there is good cause for consumers to resist another such agency.”
“Soil & Health will this morning welcome international anti-aspartame campaigner Betty Martini to New Zealand, highlighting products such as Aspartame, NutraSweet, Equal, E951, Canderel and Benevia, that have been criticised for a range of serious health ailments but have been allowed through FSANZ into widespread New Zealand use.”
Food Standards Australia New Zealand sets food standards for both countries, and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority monitors food to those standards.
“Soil & Health is also concerned that another sweetener additive has been included in baby food by international company Nutricia without the required safety assessment. NZFSA is not even insisting on withdrawal of the product, which shows the legislative flaws,” said Mr Browning, “I expect that FSANZ will push the baby food additive (fructo-oligosaccharide -fos) through an assessment process, as the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA has already given it a tick, and if the corrupted FDA says its fine, invariably so does the trans-Tasman agency FSANZ.”
“While ‘fos’ is often derived for supplement use from natural chicory root, large commercial operations like Nutricia often use the cheap and questionable genetically engineered form. New Zealanders need agencies that reflect deep caution over GE and baby foods and proven risky food additives.”
“The success of consumers against the Therapeutics Bill must be rewarded with a New Zealand regulatory system that reflects the low risk of most natural products, but uses effective precaution and genuine independent research, in decisions about the synthetic food ingredients that international big business pushes,” said Mr Browning.
Soil & Health has a vision of an Organic 2020, free of risky synthetic and GE food ingredients.
Time to ban aerial spraying here too
/in Health, Media Releases, Organic CommunityCOMBINED MEDIA RELEASE:
Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa NZ
Soil & Health Association
Safe Food Campaign
“Congratulations to the European Union for their enlightened approach to protecting human health and the environment by progressing plans to ban aerial spraying of pesticides”.
That’s the message today from Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa NZ, the Soil & Health Association and the Safe Food Campaign.
The EU’s Environment Committee has endorsed plans by the European Commission for a ban on aerial spraying of pesticides as part of a wide-ranging strategy to cut down the use of pesticides.
“Its time now for New Zealand to also look at banning aerial spraying of pesticides” said Dr Meriel Watts of Pesticide Action Network. “Far too many people have had their lives blighted by aerial spraying in both rural and urban areas of New Zealand. Terrible health effects have resulted from the aerial spraying of the herbicide 2,4-D; and the adverse effects of the unnecessary spraying of West Auckland for the Painted Apple moth are still being felt.”
“Many horticultural growers have lost valuable crops to drift from the aerial spraying of 2,4-D” added Steffan Browning of Soil & Health. “Soil & Health often receives complaints of cross-boundary spray drift.”
“ The aerial spraying of highly toxic insecticides such as chlorpyrifos is still permitted in New Zealand, even though this insecticide is known to cause adverse developmental effects in children and has been restricted in the US” said Alison White of the Safe Food Campaign.
The three organisations, which have been trying to combat pesticide problems in New Zealand for many years, also welcome other initiatives by the EU and urge the New Zealand government to be equally proactive in reducing pesticide use here.
These initiatives include:
* A national pesticide use reduction target of 25% within 5 years, and 50% within 10 years, including non-agricultural uses
* A system of levies on pesticides to fund the reduction plan
* Ban on pesticides in all areas used by the general public (e.g. parks, school grounds, residential areas) and in “substantial no-spray zones” around them.
* A buffer zone of 10m around all water courses
* Using the ‘substitution principle’ whereby more dangerous substances will be removed from the market if safer alternatives exist
“These are all very good measures that will certainly contribute substantially to improved public health and environmental integrity”, said Dr Watts. “New Zealand has dragged its feet for many years on this issue, trying to shuffle it under the carpet and manage the problems by talking with industry. But progress has been too slow. Until this country is prepared to take a firm stand on pesticides the issue will not go away.”
”One of the major problems New Zealand has failed to deal with is the unregulated non-commercial uses.”
“Right now untrained home gardeners can access all kinds of toxic herbicides and are enthusiastically waging war on weeds, with no clue about the toxic effects of the herbicides they are exposing themselves and their neighbours, too – let alone the effects on the wider environment” said Dr Watts. This is simply no longer acceptable in so-called developed country.”
“Soil & Health has recently requested that ERMA reassess home gardeners access to pesticides,” said Steffan Browning.
The European Committee stressed that only quantitative use reduction targets in the national action plans will push governments to lower the amount of pesticides used. The Member States are urged to promote low pesticide-input farming and organic farming, giving priority to non-chemical alternatives.
New editor at Organic NZ
/in Media Releases, Organic CommunityNew Zealand’s leading magazine on organics and sustainable living, Organic NZ, has a new editor.
Adelia Hallett joins the magazine this month and begins by producing the September/October issue.
Organic NZ is published by the Soil and Health Association, an organisation established in 1941 to promote sustainable agriculture and nutrition. Co-chair Steffan Browning said that Ms Hallett was a good fit for the magazine.
“Adelia has a strong background in journalism and the organics sector, and we are delighted to welcome her as editor of Organic NZ,” he said.
“New Zealand is at a critical point, where it must choose its path for the future. We believe that New Zealand can be organic by 2020, but can only be achieved through public pressure.”
“Organic NZ has a huge role to play in helping people to understand the vital link between healthy soil, healthy food and healthy people.”
Ms Hallett has worked in newspapers around New Zealand, including the New Zealand Herald, and is now freelancing and specialising in environmental reporting. She lives with her family on a smallholding on the Kaipara Harbour and is involved in local organic organisations.
Mr Browning paid tribute to the work of previous editor Allan Baddock in building Organic NZ into the country’s leading magazine on organics and sustainable living.
“Organic NZ has a huge reputation for its credibility and authority, and we thank Allan for his role in developing that,” he said.
Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill Rethink Time
/in GE, Health, Media Releases, OrganicsThe government has an ideal opportunity for a rethink of New Zealand’s health choices, with the placing of the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill (TPMB) at the bottom of the Parliamentary Order Paper on Tuesday, according to the Soil & Health Association.
Community opposition to the Bill remains very high, and Soil & Health has received 1600 signatures through a modest appeal to members and friends over the last two weeks. Thousands have signed other petitions and hundreds attended last weekend’s Auckland rally against the TPMB.
Today, Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning presented Green Party MP Sue Kedgley with the indicative signatures. “We all understand the issues are complex,” he said, “but there is an overriding concern from our members that they do not want any regulatory system controlled from Australia and they do not want to lose the choice of the natural products that they have at present.”
“One signatory, a 71 year old great grandmother who has successfully used herbal products, vitamins and minerals since 1980, finished a message with, ’We are mature enough & dare I say it wise enough to keep it right in New Zealand.’”
“One method of achieving this may be through a New Zealand Office of Natural Health Products, such as proposed by the Natural Health Alliance,” said Browning. “Their draft concept has a regulatory structure for consumer protection while keeping compliance costs low for producers.”
“With nanotechnology and genetic engineering being used in the production of some so-called therapeutic goods, it is important that we have strict guidelines, but also that they have the support of and input from New Zealand consumers and natural therapists, through a structure such as suggested by the Natural Health Alliance.”
“Consumer choice is increasingly being removed and unwanted additives are being included because New Zealand bureaucrats are chasing free trade agreements and international harmonisation of food and health standards (through Codex, CER and FSANZ, WTO and others). Soil & Health suggests that each agreement maintains full domestic opt-out clauses, and has better local consumer input,” said Browning.
Please Find Below the Draft Proposal by the Natural Health Alliance.
TO ESTABLISH AN Office of Natural Health Products New Zealand (onhpnz)
Mission Statement
Our mission is to make New Zealand’s health care sustainable into the future by becoming a world leader in the regulation of Natural Health Products resulting in New Zealand being the country recognised as having the Healthiest People on Earth.
Goal for New Zealand
To develop and maintain a sustainable health policy based on a wellness paradigm. To establish an appropriate regulatory environment for Natural Health and dietary supplement products.
To establish a Centre of Excellence for Natural Healthcare that will optimise the health of New Zealand consumers; address the escalating costs of health care in an ageing population; maximise a New Zealand wellness brand and secure New Zealand’s place in the global market – all resulting in a sustainable, innovative Health and Wellness industry lead economy.
New Zealand Health in the Future
The Natural Health Alliance believes that optimised health and disease prevention through the use of Natural health products and health promotion can substantially improve the quality of life. One of the greatest concerns of the OECD countries is the escalating cost for health care in an ageing population, especially for medication resulting from fundamental weaknesses in the present illness model of Health policy. This model is predicted to cripple many countries and individuals. To this end, the Office should be committed to meeting the challenges of tomorrow by supporting research into the health benefit properties of low risk and low cost Natural Products (especially New Zealand herbs and flora)
Export Led Wellness Economy
New Zealand exports of natural products and ingredients have the potential to exceed imports. New Zealand due to its isolation has unique herbs and ingredients – some of which are recognised as world leaders. Having a unique Natural health Products (NHP) regulator will give New Zealand the opportunity to foster entrepreneurial companies exporting unique leading natural health products.
The Natural Health Alliance recommends that:
1. A separate Office of Natural Health Products New Zealand (ONHPNZ) be established that:
a) Is separate and independent from the Pharmaceutical Regulatory office,
b) Develops an appropriate risk-based regulatory framework that ensures consumers have freedom to choose quality natural health products and good information about those products to assist in making informed choices, whilst protecting philosophical and cultural diversity,
c) Is headed by a person with experience and expertise in Natural Health Products as the Canadians have done in appointing a Doctor of Naturopathy as head of the Natural Health Directorate of Health Canada; and
d) Is also staffed with personnel qualified and experienced in natural health products.
2. Twenty percent of ONHPNZ national health and medical research funding be directed towards research projects into natural health products.
3. A Centre of Excellence of Natural Healthcare be established with industry, Maori and consumers in partnership to focus on research, education and economics with objectives similar to those of the US Office of Dietary Supplements.
4. A cost-benefit study be conducted into the potential cost savings from greater use of natural health products be undertaken.
5. An on-line consumer information service be established in consultation with industry to provide consumers with balanced, factual information on natural health products.
6. A rebate for all natural health products and services be negotiated with private health insurance providers.
7. A Natural Health Products Advisory Committee be established to provide expert advice on natural health products and alternative health practices to the Minister and regulatory bodies.
8. An adverse event reporting system for NHPs to monitor trends and emerging safety issues and that such reports be assessed by a Committee of persons with knowledge and expertise in natural healthcare.
9. That the cost of the regulator be at least 50% subsidized by the New Zealand government as New Zealand will gain through the significant cost savings coming from a wellness health care system. Cost recovery system to recover only those costs that relate to regulatory services to the Industry.
10. Penalties and fines for breaches of the NHP standards to be set at appropriate levels that would be normal for this level of breach in accordance with similar used in the Food Industry in New Zealand.
11. Research into the health benefits of our Native Natural flora and fauna be sponsored by the Government to establish the active ingredients and confirm the benefits that have been discovered anecdotally over many years of use .The published research will help develop a good research based industry in New Zealand and the evidence to support the development of the New Zealand Natural Health Brand Internationally.
12. The government to promote the use of NHPs as a means of improving the nation’s Health and reducing the escalating cost of healthcare in an aging population.