Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
NZ Must Support US Consumers on GM Labelling
NZ Must Support US Consumers on GM Labelling
New
Zealand should be backing US Consumers at The TPPA
negotiations, by demanding labelling of GM foods be extended
to America, not withdrawn from countries that have
it
US consumers are currently suing their own
government for the labelling of GM food (1), and there is
public support for labelling of GM foods across the whole
Pacific region.
New Zealand's trade representatives
should take a principled and scientifically justified stance
that all countries in the TPPA should allow testing, tracing
and labelling of GM foods, and have the right to exclude
them on cultural, ethical or economic grounds.
"
Testing, traceability, and labelling is in the interest of
food safety globally," says Jon Carapiet from GE-free NZ in
food and environment. "It is also a cultural right based on
values shared by communities across the trade zone. New
Zealand has a responsibility to defend that."
The
recent EU discovery of contamination in rice is further
evidence of the risk to public health and the importance of
monitoring and labelling for effective product
recall.(2)
New Zealand's exports of clean, green,
GE-free and organic produce are what consumers are demanding
but are directly threatened by any deal that weakens
bio-security or our gold-standard zero-contamination
threshold for GM in imported
seed.
ENDS
Gordon Campbell: On What’s Wrong With The Treaty Principles Bill
NZ National Party: National Acknowledges The Passing Of Hon Nikki Kaye
Mana Mokopuna: Children And Young People Share Vital Insights On Healing From Family Violence And Sexual Violence In New Report
NZ Government: PM Marks One Year In Government
Helen Clark Foundation: Helen Clark Foundation Calls For Political Action To Reduce The Prevalence Of Junk Food And Improve Health Outcomes
Justice Committee: Further Decisions About Submissions Process For The Principles Of The Treaty Of Waitangi Bill
Infrastructure New Zealand: Single Agency Needed To Coordinate Climate Adaptation And Recovery
