Crop and Food selling NZ a 'lemon'

GE Free New Zealand
In Food And Environment Inc.
www.gefree.org.nz

GE Free New Zealand PRESS RELEASE –15.1.04

Crop and Food selling NZ a 'lemon' as sister agency drops GE Wheat Project

The decision by Crop and Food's sister-organisation in Canada to quit its role in developing GE wheat is a clear signal that New Zealanders are being sold a lemon in the form of Crop and Food GE onions and other Crown Research Institutions blind push to pursue GE experiments.

Agriculture Canada is abandoning a long-running project involving genetically engineered wheat it developed in partnership with biotech giant Monsanto. Monsanto is also linked to the GE onion trials in New Zealand aimed at developing crops that will survive toxic sprays manufactured by Monsanto.

Commenting on the decision Jim Bole from Agriculture Canada said the biotech revolution in agriculture has not lived up to expectations.

"I'm afraid it (GE agriculture) was oversold," Mr. Bole said.

Canada's economy has already suffered from widespread contamination of canola by GM varieties, and AgCan's decision reflects almost universal opposition, to the introduction of GE wheat, from farmers, food manufacturers, the grain industry, overseas markets, and consumers.

"It is time for Crop and Food to wake up to the fact that their proposed research is dead in the water - not least because the evidence shows it will not reduce chemical sprays as claimed. There is no market whatsoever for the end-product," says Jon Carapiet from GE Free New Zealand in food and environment.

GE Free NZ in food and environment have already formally requested a review of ERMA's approval, given the decision failed to take note of recent proof from the US that GE crops, like the onions being trailed, have increased use of sprays.

The ombudsman is also looking into a complaint about ERMA’s recent about turn, which has now made important information, previously obtainable under the Official Information Act, unavailable to public submitters.

The Canadian decision adds weight to the fear that New Zealanders are being deliberately led down the garden path to nowhere.

"Taxpayers' money is being wasted because of what appears to be ideological commitment in the government and in Crown Research Institutions to push release of GE crops at any cost- regardless of the scientific, economic and ethical reasons not to do so," says Mr. Carapiet.

ENDS
Contact Jon Carapiet 09 815 3370

Reference:

http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Genetic-Wheat.html

CNEWS CANADA
January 9, 2004
AgCan ends testing of GE wheat developed with Monsanto

OTTAWA (CP) -- Agriculture Canada is abandoning a long-running project
involving genetically engineered wheat it developed in partnership with
biotech giant Monsanto, amid doubts about how well the product would
sell.

Regulatory authorities continue to assess the risks and benefits of
Roundup Ready wheat, but the AgCan decision suggests that scientific hopes for the first strain of biotech wheat may be dimming.

Jim Bole of Agriculture Canada said the department will make no further
investment in the crop it has developed with Monsanto since 1997.

"There's still some testing going on that does involve our scientists .
. . but Ag Canada is not contributing more funds toward it," Bole said in an interview from Winnipeg.

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http://www.canoe.ca/NationalTicker/CANOE-wire.Genetic-Wheat.html

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