1.We are horrified in NZ
2.ACTION - PLEASE WRITE TO THE PM!
3.NZ a US "stalking-horse"
4.Tell NZ Govt. to shape up on Terminator - ONLINE ACTION!
---
1.FROM A FARMER IN NEW ZEALAND:
We are horrified in nz what our govt is up to.
Have you seen the Sustainability council of NZ critique of NZ central govt policy/position on Terminator, labelling, liability for LMOS?
See http://www.sustainabilitynz.org/news_item.asp?sID=153
and their new report
BRAVE NEW BIOSECURITY?
http://www.sustainabilitynz.org/docs/BraveNewBiosecurity.pdf
I have written to all our Ministers, urging them to abandon their immoral stance!
---
2.PLEASE WRITE TOO!
FAX Number for NZ's Prime Minister, Helen Clark: +64 4 473 3579
EMAIL
Helen Clark [email protected]
Carbon copy:
Hon Parekura Horomia [email protected]
Hon Jim Anderton [email protected]
Hon Phil Goff [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Hon David Benson-Pope [email protected]
Hon Chris Carter [email protected]
Hon Lianne Dalziel [email protected]
---
3.Is NZ a US "stalking-horse" on GE issue?
Press Release: Green Party, 14 March 2006 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0603/S00223.htm
New Zealand appears to be a "stalking-horse" for the United States in blocking consensus on the labelling of living GE organisms traded between countries, Greens Environment Spokesperson Nandor Tanczos says.
Last May in Montreal, New Zealand and Brazil prevented an international meeting - the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol - from reaching any decision on labelling of traded living GE organisms. This week, the third meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol is being held in Brazil.
"All the other 117 countries attending the Montreal meeting supported a call for shipments of living genetically engineered organisms, being traded for use in food, feed or processing, to be labelled with the words 'does contain GMOs'," Mr Tanczos says.
"Has New Zealand simply become a stalking-horse for the United States - which is not a party to the convention? Does this explain why our foreign affairs officials at the meeting in Montreal refused to give reasons for our objections to labelling?"
New Zealand insisted on the wording "may contain GMOs" and refused to give any explanation for rejecting the "does contain GMOs" wording. The "may contain GMOs" wording is largely uninformative just as "may contain traces of nuts" is uninformative when it occurs on every item of processed food in supermarkets.
"The wording 'may contain GMOs' puts the onus on importing countries to test the shipments for GE organisms rather than on the exporting country where the responsibility should lie," Mr Tanczos says.
Many developing countries do not have the human or financial resources to test shipments and appropriate labelling would help them protect their biodiversity just as NZ is able to protect its biodiversity through our rules concerning biosecurity and import of GE organisms.
"At the opening address, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ahmed Djoghlaf, emphasised the importance of reaching agreement on documentation of bulk shipments of living GE organisms," Mr Tanczos says. "Reports indicate that Brazil will no longer oppose full labelling. Will New Zealand be the only country to block consensus?"
ENDS
---
4.Tell NZ Govt. to shape up on biosafety protocol http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/campaigns/ge/biosafety-action.asp
10-Mar-2006 : The Biosafety Protocol is an important safeguard against harm to biodiversity and human health and has been ratified by over 130 countries including New Zealand. But NZ Government representatives have recently blocked consensus on strong wording in the Protocol and seem to be siding with the big GE producers such as the US. On top of this NZ is supporting Canada's call to lift the current global de-facto ban on field trials of sterile seed technology or "Terminator" seeds. Around the world 1.4 billion people (mostly poor) depend on farm saved seed for food and that's what Terminator threatens.
Tell NZ Govt. to shape up on biosafety protocol
The Biosafety Protocol is an important UN agreement which requires countries to take precautionary measures to stop Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) from causing harm to biodiversity and human health. The Protocol has been ratified by over 130 countries including New Zealand, but NZ representatives have recently blocked consensus on strong wording in the Protocol and seeming to side with the big GE producers such as the US. On top of this NZ is supporting Canada 's call to lift the global de-facto ban on field trials of sterile seed technology or "Terminator".
Around the world 1.4 billion people (mostly poor) depend on farm saved seed for food and that's what Terminator threatens.
Please use this form to send a message to the NZ Government asking them to shape up on bio safety and stop Terminator!
http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/campaigns/ge/biosafety-action.asp
Go to a Print friendly Page
Email this Article to a Friend
Back to the Archive
|
