2 October 2012

Just another GE mirage

The announcement about scientists producing GE milk will damage New Zealand’s brand on which our more than $10 billion a year dairy exports rely, the Green Party said today.

Today AgResearch scientists announced they have used genetic engineering (GE) technology to breed the first cow in the world that produces high protein milk that may be hypo-allergenic.

“This is just another GE mirage; another announcement from GE proponents about a potential product which we do not need and has no market,” Green Party GE Steffan Browning said today.

“It’s not right for these scientists to be touting their finding as a solution to milk allergies in babies as some sort of justification for the huge amount of resources that have been invested into GE research.

“We see this over and over again with GE scientists; this new product or that new product that will have apparent amazing results but it never actually meets our real needs for a safe, healthy food supply.

“The Royal Commission into GE recommended that wherever possible animals that are a common source of food should not be used for GE but that recommendation has been ignored.

“Field trials in New Zealand need to be closed down and GE research needs to be kept in the lab.

“Our export markets want safe food grown in a natural environment but the production of GE milk puts those markets at risk.

“Putting at $10 billion a year industry at risk for half a glass of milk is not something to be celebrating,” said Mr Browning.

ends

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>