Organic NZ

Primary Growth Partnership Funding - Great Organic Opportunity

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The $321 million Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) funding announced yesterday would have significant potential for genuine sustainability and Brand New Zealand, if organic and biological farming systems were the focus of the investment, however if focus is on more synthetic intellectual property and commodity hyper-production under a guise of sustainability, an opportunity will once again have been lost, according to the Soil & Health Association.

“The $151 million red meat bid which is in part consumer focused, can easily be directed to the global growth in high value consumer demand for genuinely sustainable and organic, animal friendly and GE free production,” said Soil & Health –Organic NZ spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“Government ...

Source: Primary Growth Partnership Funding - Great Organic Opportunity

GE Food Ingredients Need Immediate Investigation

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

News today from GE Free NZ shows that a complex pesticide riddled genetically engineered (GE) corn, Smartstax, is being allowed into the New Zealand food supply without assessment by food regulators.(1)

Already 64 GE food lines and more than 14 GE food processing aids have been allowed through the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) assessment process, but none have contained anything like the 6 insecticides and 2 herbicide resistant genes that are contained in the Monsanto/Dow Chemicals Smartstax, according to the Soil & Health Association who have included in their Organic NZ magazine a list of New Zealand allowed GE food ingredients. (2,3)

“In the last 10 months FSANZ has allowed 3 more GE food lines into the food supply and is assessing another ...

Source: GE Food Ingredients Need Immediate Investigation

New Zealand animal cloning needs to stop

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

New Zealand needs a ban on animal cloning, food from cloned animals and a verification process put in for imported foods to ensure compliance for New Zealand consumers, according to the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand.

Soil & Health also wants the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) to clarify the position it has been promoting internationally against labeling food from cloned animals, and for Fonterra to state unequivocally its opposition to cloning and genetic engineering of animals and pasture.

Following leakage of beef and possibly milk from cloned animals getting into the British food chain, the EU Parliament has called for new EU legislation to be developed to expressly prohibit foods from cloned animals and their descendents, with a m ...

Source: New Zealand animal cloning needs to stop

Organic Dairy Farmers Don’t Abort Calves

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Unlike the 200,000 cows callously induced to bring cow herds into milking at the same time, certified organic herds are never at risk of such practices according to the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand.

“Consumers of certified organic milk, cheese and yoghurt can feel confident that animal welfare considerations in organic standards do not allow induction,” said Soil & Health – Organic NZ spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“Organic production fits New Zealand’s clean green 100% Pure image in a way that government seems to forget. The Minister of Agriculture knows that New Zealand’s best value markets want products from environmentally sustainable and animal welfare friendly systems, and those markets are prepared ...

Source: Organic Dairy Farmers Don’t Abort Calves

Plant & Food, Lincoln University, MAF and MoRST Risk Brand New Zealand

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Genetic engineering (GE) experiments by Plant & Food Research and Lincoln University need to be reconsidered following new reported failures by government agencies in managing GE risks at Plant & Food’s Lincoln facilities, according to the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand.

“The conflicts of interest by researchers and government agencies in GE management and compliance suggest the best way forward is to stop unnecessary experiments and governments continued attempt to introduce GE plants and animals into the New Zealand environment,” said Soil & Health – Organic NZ spokesperson Steffan Browning.

Plant & Food Research’s containment glasshouse at Lincoln was the scene of a GE cress plant (Arabidopsis thaliana ...

Source: Plant & Food, Lincoln University, MAF and MoRST Risk Brand New Zealand

Pesticide Residues in Food - Worst Ever

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The Food Safety Authority’s latest pesticide residue results are a nightmare: they are the worst results I have ever seen," said Dr Meriel Watts of Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa New Zealand.(1)

* Pesticide residues found in 94% of targeted fruit and vege samples

* Prohibited endosulfan in 11 of 23 cucumber samples

* Dangerous fungicide exceeding allowable levels in 9 out of 24 Pak choi samples

* 18 different pesticides found among 24 grape samples

* Organic fruit & vege free of synthetic pesticides

“For a start, fully 94% of the samples of fruit and vegetables contained residues – including all of the oranges, grapes, bok choi, and nectarines. Then there are endosulfan residues in 1 ...

Source: Pesticide Residues in Food - Worst Ever

Something smells at Scion GE tree site

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) has the confidence of crown forest research institute Scion to such a degree that Scion is prepared to spend many thousands of tax payers dollars building new GE field trial space even before an application for an intended 4000 genetically engineered (GE) pine trees is publicly notified by ERMA, according to the Soil & Health Association of NZ.

“By enlarging its Rotorua GE field trial site more than tenfold, ahead of having its latest GE application processed, Scion, recently re-partnered with international GE tree giant ArborGen, seems to have had illegal pre-notification approval from ERMA,” said Soil & Health - Organic NZ spokesperson Steffan Browning.

Simultaneously, as Scion has been consulti ...

Source: Something smells at Scion GE tree site

GE: don't swallow it

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Kyra Xavia investigates how genetically engineered ingredients sneak into our food unlabelled, and offers tips to avoid eating them

Like many Organic NZ readers you may be a conscious consumer who makes informed decisions about the food you eat. Unfortunately you may also be ‘eating in the dark’ because most consumers in New Zealand ingest genetically engineered food (GE or GMOs) whether they want to or not.

In the late 1990s GE food suddenly appeared on supermarket shelves in developed nations around the world without the public’s knowledge and consent.1 Since then, despite consumer concerns, warnings from respected scientists, geneticists, doctors and environmental experts along with scientific studies identifying numer ...

Source: GE: don't swallow it

GE Plants And Animals Do Not Belong In Clean Green 100% Pure NZ.

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1200

With a continued effort towards genetically engineering New Zealand pasture plants and developing herds of genetically engineered (GE) animals, AgResearch appears to miss the meaning of clean green 100% Pure, according to the Soil & Health Association of New Zealand.

“AgResearch in developing GE ryegrass and GE clover as a means of altering farming’s greenhouse gas emissions, misses the point that the aware consumers who value clean and green and are concerned at greenhouse emissions, are also aghast at genetic engineering,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“The Prime Minister and his ministers also tout clean and green 100% Pure because they understand its value in commercial terms, however there is a disconnect wit ...

Source: GE Plants And Animals Do Not Belong In Clean Green 100% Pure NZ.

New Zealand Exporters Cheating India

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +1200

Methyl bromide fumigation of logs for India at Picton this weekend is not expected to meet phytosanitary requirements due to cold temperatures and so unnecessarily risks the health of the community and environment, according to the Soil & Health Association of NZ.

The log ship Maipo River is due into Port Marlborough’s Shakepeare Bay port on June 14 to pick up logs pre-fumigated during this coming weekend. The log destination country, India’s phyto-sanitary requirements against New Zealand insect pests, stipulates that logs must be fumigated for 24 hours at more than 10°C. (1,2,3)

“With an expected overnight low in nearby Blenheim of 3°C on Saturday night and a high of only 11°C on Sunday with a minimum of just 1°C, fumigation in Picton w ...

Source: New Zealand Exporters Cheating India

Caged Poultry Farmer’s Imprisonment Justifies Animal Liberators Efforts

Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is to be congratulated for successfully prosecuting a poultry farmer for animal welfare offences, but should be exposing other cruel poultry farmers, according to the Soil & Health Association of NZ.

Gerard Bogaart, trading as Golden Harvest Poultry, was yesterday sentenced by Judge McAuslan to 12 months in prison under the Animal Welfare Act for the wilful ill-treatment of broiler hens and roosters in his care and for two months concurrently for failing to provide for their physical, health and behavioural needs. (1)

“Considering Golden Harvest proudly quotes 46 years in the industry, audits of all large scale broiler hen and egg operations should be undertaken immediately,” said Soil & Health spoke ...

Source: Caged Poultry Farmer’s Imprisonment Justifies Animal Liberators Efforts

Levin Branch Newsletter April 2010

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 +1200

ORGANIC GROWING NEWS Newsletter 270 – April 2010

Levin Branch, NZ Soil & Health Association

www.organicnz.org/branch/Levin

Patron Fay Te Kira 364 5168

Treasurer Liz Baucke 368 0009 Minute Secretary Val Nicol 367 8320 Secretary Annmarie Coote 367 3753
Committee Ian Sheen 364 3299 singa@xtra.co.nz Emily Williams 362 6684 Barbara van der Valk 364 3244 Jill Scott 363 7567 Michael Hunt 364 8053
Ambassador at Large: Winifred Bourn, 23a Fairfield Road, Levin Fax 368 6271, ph 368 6701

Subscribe to Organic NZ magazine

The Soil &am ...

Source: Levin Branch Newsletter April 2010

USA GE trees approval will reflect negatively on NZ

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The approval by the United States GE regulator for 260,000 New Zealand raised genetically engineered (GE) eucalyptus trees for 28 field trials through seven US states is not something for New Zealand to be proud of, according to the Soil & Health Association of NZ. (1)

“New Zealand trades on a clean green 100% Pure brand and the best value customers for New Zealand are the discerning first world baby boomer consumers that choose GE free, animal friendly, sustainably produced and organic type products. Thousands of those potential customers submitted in opposition to the NZ raised GE trees.” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“Last year Jim Hightower, a twice elected Texas Agriculture Commissioner and U.S. national commentator d ...

Source: USA GE trees approval will reflect negatively on NZ

Increased Science Funding, An Opportunity For Clean And Green NZ

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The Budget’s new science funding increase should speed correction of key flaws in New Zealand’s Clean Green 100% Pure environmental reputation, and boost conversion to organic agriculture and horticulture, according to the Soil & Health Association of NZ.

Soil & Health asserts that the implementation of alternatives to both aerial 1080 drops and methyl bromide release to the atmosphere, along with a redirection of science funding away from genetic engineering (GE) development and field trials, would instantly improve New Zealand’s best primary production and tourism marketing advantage.

“Replacing GE, methyl bromide release and the broad-scale use of pesticides such as aerial spraying of 1080 is critical if we are to retain credibili ...

Source: Increased Science Funding, An Opportunity For Clean And Green NZ

Picton Methyl Bromide Gas Release Risky Again

Mon, 03 May 2010 00:00:00 +1200

The Picton community was tonight again at risk of methyl bromide fumigation gas exposure, as log fumigators in Shakespeare Bay released tons of the neurotoxic gas with light breeze flowing onto Picton according to eyewitnesses.

Logs in the hold of the 170m ship Pontonostos and up to 20 stacks of wharfside logs have been fumigated with the highly toxic gas over the last 24 hours.

With an absence of air modelling to identify the direction of the invisible gas plume being released throughout the evening, Soil & Health Association spokesperson Steffan Browning monitored the activity from the port lookout and followed Port Marlborough’s Live Weather website. (1) Winds were light and predominantly from the north west passing the fumigation site through the Cook ...

Source: Picton Methyl Bromide Gas Release Risky Again