Posted on 18-3-2003
NZ
Grains Council Response Astounding
From Greenpeace NZ
Monday 17 March 2003: "NZ Grains Council chairman Hugh Ritchie's
response
to Bob Willick's testimony of GE failure in Canada is astounding,"
said
Greenpeace GE Campaigner Steve Abel today, in response to claims
by Ritchie
that the Canadian GE crop experience is irrelevant to New Zealand
arable
growers.
Bob Willick told Federated Farmers Grains Council executives
during a phone
conference last Friday that the ability to grow non-GE or organic
canola in
Saskatchewan, Canada had been destroyed through widespread contamination
by
GE canola. "We can't grow canola organically or non-GE anymore
in
Saskatchewan because of GE spreading through the fields," Willick
said.
That forms the basis of a class action being brought by 960
organic farmers
against Monsanto and Bayer in Canada (1).
Bob Willick described the idea of co-existence [of GE and conventional
crops] as "slick corporate deception", and asserted that the
practical
reality of GE crops meant that once released, widespread contamination
ensued. Willick recounted an instance where a storm had caused
it to "rain
canola", highlighting the stupidity of buffer zones as a means
to stopping
GE spread. "Surely Bob Willick's first-hand experience of GE
is relevant to
New Zealand and to the Grains Council's policy on GE, at a time
when our
Government is devising a 'co-existence' strategy," said Abel.
When asked if the NZ Grains Council would follow the stance
of the
Australian Wheat Board in calling for a ban on GE canola, Mr
Ritchie
responded that the Council would leave the choice to grow or
not grow GE
crops to the individual farmer.
Ritchie said: "Just as Mr Willick had the choice to move to
organic
production, whilst other farmers have continued to grow GM crops
[in
Canada], New Zealand arable growers should be able to retain
the option of
growing GM crops if they see commercial advantage in it".
Steve Abel says Ritchie has totally missed Bob Willick's point.
"You can't
grow organic canola in Saskachewan anymore, so there is no choice
for
organic growers but to quit that crop. That's exactly the problem!"
"Once
you release a GE crop the evidence is that it spreads,
thereby stealing the right of conventional farmers to grow GE-free
and
ultimately the right of consumers to eat GE-free produce," said
Abel. Abel
noted that at least there is recognition by the Grains Council
that the GE
crops currently being grown in North America are of no value
to NZ growers.
"But the general failure to recognise the fundamental issues
of the
irreversibility of GE release, contamination of conventional
and organic production, widespread market and consumer rejection
of GE
foods and the value of New Zealand's GE free production status
is
concerning," said Abel.
Mr Ritchie said in the conference call, that "We [Federated
Farmers]
respond to our members". On this basis Greenpeace is urging
New Zealand
farmers and growers to make their feelings on GE clearly known
to Federated
Farmers. "New Zealand farmers should demand that the Grains
Council make a
stance against GE release, similar to that of the Australian
and Canadian
Wheat Boards," said Abel.
Greenpeace is opposed to the release of genetically engineered
organisms
into the environment and food chain. For more information contact:
Steve
Abel, Greenpeace New Zealand GE campaigner, on 021 565 175.
(1) Two organic farmers filed a claim on behalf of all certified
organic
grain farmers in Saskatchewan on 10 January 2002. The class
action suit
calls for:
* Compensation for the damage caused to certified organic farmers
resulting from the introduction of GE canola into the rural
environment; and
* An injunction to prevent the introduction of GE wheat.
(2) 210 North American organisations are campaigning against
GE wheat
release including the Canadian Wheat board. The Australian Wheat
Board
(responsible for 12% of Australia's rural exports) has also
called for a
moratorium on the release of GE canola because they are concerned
it will
harm their export markets.
-- Suzette Jackson Campaign Assistant, Greenpeace NZ/Aotearoa,
Ph ++64 9
630 6317 Fax ++64 9 630 7121
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