29 March 2011

Soil & Health Joins Federated Farmers Opposing Biosecurity Plans

The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand has come out in support of Federated Farmers in criticism of government Biosecurity funding plans.

"Biosecurity risks are predominantly through importing and that is where the costs should lie," said Soil & Health-Organic NZ spokesperson Steffan Browning.

"Certainly exporters and industry have a lot to lose through biosecurity incursions, but biosecurity incursions affect everyone from consumers through to indigenous biodiversity"

"Reduction of biosecurity to only economic importance, with a user pays approach to just those economically effected misses the full environmental and social cost of many new organisms."

"Biosecurity New Zealand need better resourcing by Government to enable better border protection and if Government wants to insist on a purely economic base user pays system then charge the importers that incur the dominant risk."

"Inspections need to be far more thorough without trust in overseas agencies."

"Both Soil & Health and Federated Farmers members recognise the huge economic impact of biosecurity breaches. Government knows that there are risks to all primary production , biodiversity and tourism through poor biosecurity controls, and that importers are the primary risk."

"Soil & Health promotes environmental sustainability and supports the validating of New Zealand's clean green 100% Pure brand, including pesticide reduction. Less pests, less pesticides."

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