Taking advantage of farmers’ desperate situations to push the genetic engineering (GE) agenda is unacceptable, the Green Party said today.
This was in response to Federated Farmers Vice-President William Rolleston’s comments yesterday that the Government should relax the country’s genetic engineering regulations, making them less restrictive in order to assist the release of GE drought resistant grass.
“Now is the time to provide relief to farmers and take a look at which farming systems can withstand extreme weather events in the long term, not to pounce on the opportunity to loosen regulations and push GE products,” said Green Party agriculture spokesperson Steffan Browning.
“New Zealanders, and our export markets, don’t want GE in our foods.
“This drought will break, but we will have another and we need to be ready so we can continue to provide the good, safe food our customers want.
“Farmers who are experiencing drought after drought are looking for strategies to manage the new weather conditions.
“Dr William Rolleston’s suggestion that GE grasses may be a solution for drought is a cynical abuse of the tough situation facing so many farmers and communities.
“Companies pushing genetically engineered crops are not doing it to help farmers overcome drought. “Genetically engineered crops are pushed to control seed lines and intellectual property that actually cost farmers more and more, and have failed to provide the promised benefits
“The solution to drought is not one silver bullet. It is a systematic problem and we need to support appropriate systematic solutions.
11 comments:
Could you put this on The Standard please - as you have written it. These concerns about GE grass need spreading widely. Thanks.
Hopeful - the bulk of the post is a Green Party pres-release, so I can't claim to have written it. I'll be more 'attributal' from now on :-)
Don't want to see you doing too much of the 'cut & paste' type blogging that can be seen at a certain 'blue tint' blog Viv
ps- that comment before was me, just getting the hang of this google thing.
Me neither, corokia. Sometimes I 'throw up' an article so that anyone who might not normally come across it, gets to see what's being said. I only put up things I agree with, or not :-) As for my opinions on these issues, I've been a very busy person just lately, and have not put much of my own opinion onto my blog, but will, if there's some sort of response. I'm trying not to be provocative just now, as I'm doing that off-line and it does wear a grandfather out!
As you might have observed, Robert, I took a break from blogging, for the purpose of reflection.
I liked your blog (and not in the Facebook sense) because it contained your opinion, and it is nice to find people who are open to expressing their opinions. The joy of the internet is that such people are easier to find, wherever they are.
It's good that you have been busy recently. My observation is that the blogosphere has changed recently. Left-leaning liberals seem to have realised that it is actions, rather than words, that will rid us of this vile government we have - I presume that is what you have been doing, perhaps indirectly. One of the things that occurred to me was that one can resist and oppose the government without being provocative.
Reflection, Armchair?
What a good idea and what a wise thing to have done. Just as soon as we've 'flown' this Harvest Festival, I'm going to do as you have done - reflect upon all things. Today was one where I was highly provocative at the local government level, and that can be exhausting, with only minor gains made. Still, I'll take any gain and bank that. Tomorrow, the RMA roadshow comes to Invers. I'll take a back-er seat and not provoke, as I'm certain those driving that farcical 'consultation', aren't in a position to deflect the Government's intended trajectory with regard the mangling of the RMA. There are, however, other avenues I can lurk about in/explore.
Ah yes, local government and RMA reform. I've often wondered whether the antidote to the unbridled power wielded by our unicameral parliament (and its appallingly bad Speaker) is much stronger local government. It seems likely, based on the actions of our present government and their determination to debase and destroy any form of competition. The irony of having railed against interference from Wellington for nine years (from 1999 to 2008)and then promptly embarking on a concerted campaign of interference from Wellington astounds me. It's almost as if the National party knew - NZers love nanny state as much as they love to hate it, and consciously exploited it. Or it could be an accident.
The Nat thinkers know how to reel in the authoritarians - those who need a daddy-figure to feel secure, and have provided them with the perfect idol in their Jonny. Once they've dedicated themselves to him, as they have done, they'll become blind to all evidence that he's rotten (Jonny Rotten) or that they are suckers.
Weird, ain't it!
Hey, we ex punk rockers are quite offended that you smear the name of Johnny Rotten by linking him to someone such as John Key. At least with Johnny Rotten, you knew what you were getting, straight up. With this Key fellow it's a different story. This week when Key gleefully told morning report David Shearer had signed up for MRP shares and then, the next day, claimed he'd heard it in a media report, the mainstream media never followed up, they let him off the hook. I'd be inclined to call Key a slippery fish, but maybe that's offensive to fish.
It's so hard not to offend someone or other these days, corokia!
Key's 'hit and run' methods are infuriating but would work just as well on him, as for him.
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