GE-Free New Zealand(RAGE)Inc
In food and environment
Website: www.gefee.org.nz

Press Release 8 July 2000
Protesters target Auckland Biotechnology Conference

Monday 10th July
8am-10am
Sheraton Hotel, Symonds Street, Auckland City

Auckland consumers are to stage a public vigil outside an international biotechnology conference at the Sheraton Hotel on 10 and 11 July.

The vigil is in support of the Precautionary Principle in science, which organisers say is being ignored in the rush for profits by the biotechnology industry.

The protest vigil will be demanding:

# a ban on GE-food and immediate labelling of GE ingredients already in the food chain.
# a halt to all environmental releases of GE pollutants
# private insurance to be required for private profit experiments
# the biotech industry to show respect for the Royal Commission eg. by-halting new animal/human experiments pending an ethical review

The vigil will bring together members of the public and consumer groups concerned about irreversible contamination of the environment and the risks of Genetically Engineered food. Green MP Nandor Tanczos and representatives from the independent scientific community will also be present in support.

Peter Hodgson MP, Minister of Agriculture, will address the Biotech conference on Monday. On Tuesday 11th a second vigil will be held to coincide with a visit by international biotechnologist Dr. Prakash to the conference, organised by the Life Sciences Network and Biotenz. Dr Prakash is expected to promote Vitamin A rice, which has been condemned by consumer groups and world agricultural experts as a misguided attempt to justify the rush to market of GE food.

ENDS

For more Information; contact Diana - 09 815 3370

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