“The claim by Greenpeace today to represent the views of all New Zealand consumers is preposterous,” the Chairman of the New Zealand Life Sciences Network (Inc), Dr William Rolleston, said today.

“They are arrogant in the extreme if they feel they can tell the US Ambassador that all New Zealanders don’t want to eat genetically modified food.

“Kiwis don’t want to be told what they think, what they want is more information so they can make up their own minds. Research undertaken by HortResearch shows people are very divided about genetically modified food.

“Our own professionally conducted research shows that most people (47% of the total sample) want more information.

“Even their so-called facts about reductions in soy bean exports are wrong. The USDA expects U.S. soybean exports to the EU to total around 262 million bushels this marketing year, or about 34 million bushels more than the previous year. (See story on our website)

“Putting pseudo-facts and outright distortions into the public arena will only heighten public confusion. Greenpeace better have some research and proven facts at their disposal if they want to make outrageous claims like this at the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification,” concluded Dr Rolleston.

For further information, contact:

Dr William Rolleston Francis Wevers
Interim Chairman Executive Director

Phone 03 612 6688 Phone 04 916 0100
Mobile 025 2460634 Mobile 021 916010

Francis Wevers Executive Director NZ Life Sciences Network (Inc) PO Box 715, Wellington, New Zealand

Ph +64 4 9160100 Mobile +64 21 916010 Fax +64 4 4731081 mailto:fwevers@lifesciencenz.com website: http://www.lifesciencenz.com

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