Greens support 'mutant cow' court case

The Green Party supports MAdGE's application for a judicial review of the decision to allow engineering of cows with human and other animal genes, Agriculture Spokesperson Ian Ewen-Street said today.

Last October, the Environmental Risk Management Authority approved an application by AgResearch to insert human and other animal genes into cows, with the hope of producing proteins in their milk for medicinal uses.

Mr Ewen-Street said today it was excellent to see MAdGE had issued proceedings in the High Court at Auckland, seeking to have the decision cancelled.

Mr Ewen-Street said it was shocking the application had been approved without full disclosure of the types of genes to be inserted and the proteins they would make.

"The full risks are simply not known. The experiment should never have been approved," he said.

"Most New Zealanders are opposed to genetically engineering cattle to produce pharmaceuticals, especially if human genes are used."

The Green Party is vehemently opposed to genetic engineering in field and food.

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