New Zealand

Visiting GE-free advocate leaves a cautionary message: protect your primary producers

 

 

 

 

http://gbweekly.co.nz/2010/3/24/visiting-ge-free-advocate-leaves-a-cautionary-message-protect-your-primary-producers

Visiting GE-free advocate leaves a cautionary message: protect your primary producers

GOLDEN BAY WEEKLY 25 March 2010

by Gerard Hindmarsh

Northland-based horticulturalist and GE-free lobbyist, Zelka Grammer, recently spent three weeks tramping her way through the backblocks of Kahurangi, coming out in Golden Bay to replenish her supplies and deliver a strong message to anyone that would listen:

Start protecting your organic and conventional primary producers by insisting TDC place a ban on land use involving genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

 

It’s not just hot air.

Zelka and her GE-Free Northland colleagues were instrumental in convincing nine Northland and Auckland councils to form the Working Party on GMO Risk Evaluation and Options, whose core function is protecting the regions’ existing (and what many perceive as valuable) GM-free status.

"The next step," says a confident Zelka, will be the implementation of a Regional Exclusion Zone for GMOs. It’s akin to what Golden Bay and Waiheke Island councils did in the late 1970s, when they declared themselves ‘Nuclear Free.’ People laughed back then, but that one became arguably one of this country’s most popular policies."

new National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry, 16,000 Kiwi submittors say NO to GE trees

new National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry

by Zelka Linda Grammer

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) released the new Environmental Standards (NES) for Plantation Forestry in August 2017, after putting out the draft NES-PF two years ago.

The new NES-PF (1) gives foresters, councils, and communities clear national guidelines on how to protect the environment while achieving a sustainable forestry industry ((although many submitters would have preferred stronger provisions to protect indigenous trees, wildlife habitats, and ecosystems).

Severe pressure on MPI resulted in the agency removing a controversial clause 6.4 (GE trees), which was added at the eleventh hour with no consultation with the NZ Farm Forestry Association, Forest and Bird, and other key stakeholders) from the new NES-PF.

Various councils with strong precautionary GE policies, foresters, and other primary producers welcomed the removal of the clause that would have permitted the planting of GE trees anywhere in NZ and specifically overriden any precautionary or prohibitive GE policies and rules of local councils (including those of Northland, Auckland, and Hawke's Bay).

Stop GE Trees- make a submission to the Ministry for Primary Industries and.. protect our local councils excellent precautionary and prohibitive GE policies in local plans


GE FREE NZ Call to Action: 

Proposed National Environmental Standard (NES) for Plantation Forestry


The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) are calling for submissions.  There are grave concerns that the MPI proposed new National Environmental Standard for Plantation Forestry would remove the ability of Councils to place any precautionary or prohibitive GE policies in local plans.  

For more information see below :)

Submissions must be received by MPI before 5 pm, Tuesday 11 August 2015

Thousands march against TPPA- Hokianga to Invercargill

www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9884024/Thousands-march-against-TPPA

 

30 March 2014  Sunday Star Times

 

More than 3500 people demonstrated their opposition to the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in nationwide rallies yesterday.

The marches took place in centres across New Zealand in opposition to the free trade agreement proposed between 12 Asian and Pacific countries, including New Zealand and the United States.

Protests took place in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hokianga, Whangarei, Hamilton, Taranaki, Tauranga, Napier, Whanganui, Palmerston North, Nelson, Geraldine and Invercargill. Politicians, activists, academics, union staff and business people were among the speakers.

Labour leader David Cunliffe spoke at the Auckland rally but would not state his party's final position on the TPPA.

"I'm going to wait until I see the details."

The TPPA was a "fundamentally important agreement" but the public did not know what was included in the text, he said.

"There's a wide range of opinions, some people are absolutely opposed, some people think it's a great deal and the fact is nobody really knows because there's 300 pages of details in [trade minister] Tim Groser's safe and he's not showing anybody and that's wrong," Cunliffe said.

Mana Party's John Minto said the TPPA would give foreign investors more rights than Kiwis. "The TPPA is a bill of rights for foreign investors to come and plunder New Zealand," he said.

Representatives from the Mana Party, the Maori Party, NZ First, the Green Party and Labour spoke.

Speakers said the TPPA would become an issue ahead of the September 20 general election.

Police were present but the marches were peaceful.

GE SOY - THE GREATEST THREAT TO ALL HUMANITY

Shocking Stealth Cause of Birth Defects

Posted By Dr.

Zelka takes on chicken giants and wins

call for letters to the editor: editor@northernadvocate.co.nz

www.northernadvocate.co.nz/local/news/zelka-takes-on-chicken-giants-and-wins/3906838/

Zelka takes on chicken giants and wins

NORTHERN ADVOCATE

by Rosemary Roberts

24th November 2009

DETERMINED: Zelka Grammer, whose complaint to the New Zealand Commerce Commission helped force Inghams Enterprises (NZ) Ltd to stop claiming its chickens contain no genetically-modified ingredients.

She's not crowing, but Whangarei's Zelka Grammer is quietly pleased to have instigated action that led to frozen chicken manufacturer Inghams being rebuked for claiming that its chickens contain no genetically-modified ingredients.

"It took time but it is certainly very gratifying," she said.

Inghams warned over GM claims

call for letters to editor: in support of the complaint laid with the NZ Commerce Commission (by Zelka Grammer of Northland and also Soil & Health) against Inghams chicken company

letters from Aussies welcome!

(200 words maximum, pls provide your full contact details for the NZ HERALD editor)

email: letters@nzherald.co.nz

 

 

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10610085

Inghams warned over GM claims

NZ HERALD

11:30 AM Wednesday Nov 18, 2009

The Commerce Commission has warned poultry producer Inghams Enterprises over its claims its chickens contained no genetically modified (GM) ingredients.

AUTHORITY IGNORED CORN RISK- EXPERT

Authority ignored corn risk - expert
The Press
(Christchurch) 12/11/09

Trans-Tasman food regulators knew nine years ago of the adverse effects of heating genetically modified (GM) crops, but still approved for human consumption a GM corn now withdrawn from Europe.

A Canterbury University research centre says Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) was aware of the consequences of heating to a certain temperature a high-lysine DuPont-Pioneer GM soybean before its approval in 2000.

Europe balks at GE corn in NZ

www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/national/3020246/
Europe balks at GE corn in NZ
By PAUL GORMAN - The Press 02/11/2009 (Christchurch)

A genetically engineered (GE) corn authorised as safe for New Zealanders to eat has been withdrawn from commercial development in Europe because of safety concerns there.

Monsanto's high-lysine LY038 corn - intended as feed for animals - was approved as safe for human consumption in New Zealand in December 2007 after a six-month government delay.

Food Safety Minister Needs To Question GE Food Safety and Labeling

Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson needs to ensure a comprehensive review of the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food ingredients and GE food safety in New Zealand, now that 40 different GE food applications have been approved for use in New Zealand, including foods derived from 61 GE plant lines (1), according to the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand. Soil & Health says the latest approvals (2) have gone through despite an increase in evidence of the health risks from GE food.

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