Credit: Original article can be found here
Canadian Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has
approved the adoption of Gene Edited (GE) seeds without any
regulation, health or safety assessments, traceability or
liability and only voluntary disclosure. The deregulation of
GE seeds includes the U.S., Japan, Australia, Argentina and
Brazil, as cited by National Newswatch Canada. [1]
The
article indicates that the New Zealand Government has been
in closed door talks to “progress allowing GE seeds to be
imported and sold in New Zealand, the UK and the European
Union”.
“GE Free NZ has written to the Minister to
clarify if this statement is correct,” said Claire
Bleakley, president of GE Free NZ. “If this is true, the
Government has breached its “duty of care” and opened up
dangerous economic and safety issues that GE regulation
protects.”
The agreement threatens to destroy the
important point of difference that has benefited our economy
and exports from Aotearoa New Zealand to the world based on
our world-leading standards for clean, safe, natural, GE
Free and organic food.
Gene Editing has been around
for only 10 years. The GE seeds have not undergone any long
term environmental or health safety testing, even though
laboratory studies have shown deleterious mutations and
altered gene function called “off target effects”.
[2]
This is a direct threat to New Zealand exporters
who sell their products as non-GMO.
“This is killing
the goose that lays the golden egg for New Zealand exports,”
said Jon Carapiet, spokesman for GE Free NZ.
Consumers
want certainty around food safety and the choice to avoid
the unknown environmental and health effects of GE. New
Zealand exporters can guarantee that all products are GE
Free and and underpins our economic wellbeing.
Un
regulated, Untested and unlabelled novel GE products betrays
consumers at home and abroad and destroys the integrity of
the food system to produce organic and GMO-free
food.
This adds to concerns of excess pesticides in
the environment and in foods that negatively impact people
and natural ecosystems.
The Government must be called
to account as to why they have led secret talks into the
deregulation and release of GE without public
consultation.
References:
[1] https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2023/05/08/organic-groups-not-happy-with-gene-edited-crops-decision/#.ZFspRy1h39A
[2]
https://www.gefree.org.nz/documents/advanced-gene-editing-technologies-gmo-2-0/