www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

Concern that genetically modified (GM) seed stocks will contaminate New
Zealand's food crops, destroy our reputation and affect businesses, is
growing among groups in the agricultural sector, February 2007 by Diane
Cordemans.

The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand said imports of sweet corn
and maize seed should be stopped until all possible risks of GM
contamination have been eliminated. Spokesman for the association, Steffan
Browning, said Syngenta, the supplier of the GM corn seed which passed
through our border control last year, is already at the centre of legal
proceedings in several countries.

He said, rather than importing seed, growers would feel more secure with
further development of the New Zealand seed industry.

"With issues of droughts, global events, wars etc, it is very important that
New Zealand has a high level of food security. China is now importing food
because of land that has been taken up for industrial use," he said.

Syngenta, along with biotech giant, Monsanto, are among the world's largest
producers of GM seeds -- most notably Roundup-ready corn and soya beans.
These GM foodcrops are bred to be resistant to the chemical herbicide
Roundup, while neighbouring plants are killed. The subsequent damage to the
soil is irreversible and requires more chemical inputs to sustain growth.

New Zealand Seeds

Auckland-based company South Pacific Seeds produces vegetable seed for
export. Managing director John McKay said that most seed producers believe
that New Zealand seed stocks have not been contaminated -- and they would
like to keep it that way.

"And even if you were a breeder that had that capability [to produce GM
seed], you probably wouldn't want your brand name subjected to the scrutiny
of doing it." Our global location in the southern hemisphere means New
Zealand is in a unique position for producing and exporting seeds, Mr McKay
said.

There is very little land in the southern hemisphere at the 44 degree
latitude where vegetables can be grown for seed, he said.

"Only the southern island of New Zealand and the southern tip of South
America...there is nowhere else in the southern hemisphere where you can
produce?the kinds of seeds we produce. That is why northern hemisphere plant
breeders want to use New Zealand. There is nowhere else to go," he said.
Likewise, with pasture grasses, which represent the biggest part of the seed
industry in New Zealand.

Marketing Manager of Cropmark Seeds Gary Begley said all New Zealand's
pasture grasses are GM free. Cropmark has offices in Hamilton and Palmerston
North, and breeds grazing grasses for the domestic and international
markets. Mr Begley pointed out that pastoral farming and grass is an
important part of the New Zealand agricultural economy. In parts of Europe,
and North and South America, New Zealand grasses "lead the way", he said.

Government Apology

Minister of Biosecurity Jim Anderton said he was disappointed with border
control failures identified recently within the Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry Quarantine Service (MAFQS). But they will be fixed without delay,
he said.

"Clearance practices [to manage GM risk] followed by frontline officers have
been inadequate. There are many reasons why these mistakes occurred but
there are no excuses," he said in a press release.

The failure to prevent entry of GM corn seed into New Zealand in late 2006
by the MAFQS was scrutinised in a recent David Oughton report, commissioned
by MAF.

Mr Anderton said the report has resulted in a shake-up of practices by
frontline officers and a review of computer systems.

The huge volume of people and material coming into New Zealand meant the
risk will remain but the best systems must be in place to minimise it, he
said.

The Figures

According to the International Seed Trade Federation Secretariat, a
non-profit international organization representing seed companies, New
Zealand exported NZ$48 million worth of seed and imported NZ$18 million
worth in 2005.

Call for Protection

Major producer of GM seed, Monsanto, acquired the world's largest vegetable
seed company, Seminis, in 2005 ? resulting in the world's seed supply being
concentrated within a small number of companies.

GE Free New Zealand spokesman Jon Carapiet said New Zealand farmers urgently
need to work together to protect their long-term access to seeds and the
right to save seeds for planting each year.

He said attempts to control all seed supplies by powerful international
companies were becoming increasingly aggressive.

The consolidation of seed supplies into a handful of companies could mean
farmers are denied access to seeds they need. Eventually farmers could even
be limited to new patented varieties that may be GM or contaminated by GM
material, he said.

The Green Party have called for Food Safety Minister Annette King to "veto a
recommendation from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to approve
a genetically engineered corn for animal and human use".

Green Party Leader Jeannette Fitzsimmons said that GE corn could soon be
released by one of the largest agribusinesses.

"While Monsanto insists it will only be used for animal feed, they concede
that this corn may also indirectly enter the human food chain.The Greens are
demanding to see thorough and independent testing of the impact of this GE
corn on human health."


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