Any relaxation of rules allowing genetically modified crops into New Zealand could ruin small but valuable niche export markets for North Island maize growers.

Any relaxation of rules allowing genetically modified crops into New Zealand could ruin small but valuable niche export markets for North Island maize growers.

Fifteen years ago, New Zealanders turned out in force to protest genetically engineered food but it has snuck onto our supermarket shelves regardless.

A GE-free Northland is another step closer after councillors in the Far North and Whangarei backed proposed district plan changes banning the release of any genetically modified organisms.

The High Court has quashed a decision by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) that would have allowed developers of genetically modified crops to bypass New Zealand’s GM laws. The Court found the EPA misinterpreted the law when it decided that GMOs from two new breeding techniques could go into New Zealand fields without any formal consultation or assessment of the impacts. The EPA was also criticised for failing to act cautiously in the face of uncertainty. This was not a routine approval for a minor field trial. This was the EPA putting new methods for making GMOs beyond the law without having properly understood that law or properly investigating the consequences. The decision placed New Zealand at risk of losing overnight its status as a GM Free food producer without a public process to assess what would be lost.

The Green Party is criticising AgResearch for what it says is its un-natural level of spending on genetic engineering experiments on livestock and forage crops.

Fears the Bay of Plenty Regional Council was introducing policy by stealth to manage the risk from genetic engineering have been defused by the Environment Court.

An American activist opposing genetic engineering has praised Nelson as the first part of New Zealand to declare itself free of genetically modified organisms.

Regions are stepping up to protect our ‘100% Pure’ branding in the absence of a clear direction from central government over issues like genetic engineering (GE), the Green Party said today.

On November 5, Washington voters, who last year defied United States drug warriors and legalised marijuana, will go to the polls to decide another contentious question: should genetically engineered foods be labelled for consumers?