GE study sets alarm bells ringing

A major new British study into GM crops should be of concern to every farmer, gardener and consumer in New Zealand, Green Party Agriculture spokesperson, Ian Ewen-Street said today.

The six-year official study has found that GM crop trials have contaminated nearby plants and have also interbred with weeds to produce a herbicide-resistant 'super-weed.'

"These findings mirror the experience of the United States and Canada, where GE crops have out-crossed into conventional crops," said Ian Ewen-Street.

"It is yet another warning sign that the livelihood of New Zealand farmers will be placed in peril by embracing GE technology.

"Clearly, the British results show that GE crops are a biosecurity risk because they are an alien species in the ecosystem.

"It is also further evidence that we need to look very hard at the liability issues.

"Who pays if organic crops are contaminated from the big GE plantation down the road? Who pays if GE 'experiments' unleash a herbicide-resistant 'super-weed' on the New Zealand countryside?

"At the moment, it is the GE corporates that stand to make a profit if the moratorium is lifted next year but it is farmers and members of the public who will take all the risks.

"The most over-looked fact in the whole GE debate is that there is no demand for GE food. In fact the exact opposite is true, with shoppers and consumers prepared to pay a premium for food that is clean, green and GE-free."

Analysis of the report is available on the website of The Independent newspaper:

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