Friday, 30 August 2024 12:00

Farmer slams GM review as going "too far, too fast"

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Hawke's Bay fruit and vegetable grower Scott Lawson. Hawke's Bay fruit and vegetable grower Scott Lawson.

A Hawke’s Bay fruit and vegetable grower has described the Government’s plan to review regulations around genetic modification as rushed.

Scott Lawson told the Horticulture NZ conference in Tauranga today that the Government is going “too far, too fast”.

“As growers we have nature’s bounty available to us and I found it abhorrent that someone can patent the trait of our genes. Are we selling our sovereignty,” he asked during a panel discussion at the conference.

The panel included Dr Zahra Champion, executive director of Biotech NZ, who spoke in favour of the review.

Champion says regulations around use of gene technology in New Zealand are outdated and need to be reviewed.

She points out that in NZ, traditional biotechnology is doing well, resulting in great companies and great innovations.

“That’s why we have a fantastic hort sector,” she says.

But Champion points out that modern biotech is “ringfenced as GMO”

“It can only be used in the research space and is too costly to use in the commercial space.”

Champion acknowledges that difficult discussions lie ahead but says it will come down to the definition of what is GMO and what is not GMO in the new regulations.

GMOs are primarily regulated in New Zealand under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO Act), its regulations, and related standards.

The Government is ending New Zealand’s nearly 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and setting up a dedicated regulator to oversee applications to use gene technology. Both should be in place by the end of next year.

An industry working group is advising the Government and details of select committee hearing submissions will be released soon.

Lawson was critical of the lack of information forthcoming from the Government and shutting out farmers and growers from discussions.

He claimed that industry group representatives involved in discussions were bound by a confidentiality clause and couldn’t discuss anything with the sector.

“Our industry groups are involved in discussions, but they can’t share anything with us on what those discussions are.

“I don’t wish to see the horticulture industry and all their good work crushed by poorly thought regulations.”

Lawson also questioned how consumers, both locally and in our overseas markets, would react to NZ losing its GM-free status and its clean green image.

“I support the status otherwise we have got everything to lose,” he says.

“Right now, we’re GMO free and many of our companies leverage off this position,” he says.

Champion pointed out that NZ’s clean green image wasn’t just about GMO.

“It’s around our disease-free status, image and brand, high-quality product: it’s multi-factual and not just GMO or non-GMO.”

Champion says it was time to move on with the regulation update.

“We will need time to digest what the Government will propose, and everyone should have their say.”

Another panelist, T&G Global chief executive Gareth Edgecombe agreed that NZ’s status as a producer of high quality and natural food is paramount.

“As a nation, we need to get this right and be very careful: if the starting point puts at risk our clean green image, then that’s too much of a risk to take.”

Edgecombe noted that primary produce from NZ exported to the world are of the highest quality.

He says use of advancved breeding technologies like gene editing offer significant potential to drive future exports is paramount and could bring benefits like better taste for consumers and better orcharding outcomes like better pest management and use of less sprays.

Editor's note- story has been updated to correct spelling of Gareth Edgecombe's surname. We regret the error. 

More like this

Fruit fly anxiety

Horticulture New Zealand says an outbreak of fruit fly could have significant impacts for the horticulture sector.

Fair legislation requires good process

OPINION: Just before Christmas, Government introduced a Gene Technology Bill that will have a big impact on farmers, our industry and our position in the international marketplace. 

Ready for a new challenge

After spending 20 years running her own successful environmental consultancy in Central Otago, Kate Scott is ready for a new challenge.

PM backs GM tech

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has rubbished a report that suggests the primary sector could take a $10 billion hit if genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are released into the environment.

Featured

Ready to walk the talk

DairyNZ's Kirsty Verhoek ‘walks the talk’, balancing her interests in animal welfare, agricultural science and innovative dairy farming.

Dairy earnings bounce back

"We at Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and you at Dairy News said over six months ago that the dairy industry would bounce back, and it has done so with interest.”

$10 milk price still on

Whole milk powder prices on Global Dairy Trade (GDT) remains above long run averages and a $10/kgMS milk price for the season remains on the card, says ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown.

National

New insights into rural fire risk

New student research from the University of Canterbury in partnership with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) could improve knowledge…

Embrace mechanical weeding now

Mechanical weeding is exploding in Europe because increasing resistance means they have "run out of herbicide", says Canterbury agronomist Charles…

China still a good option

The ongoing rise of the Chinese middle class will drag up demand for New Zealand products there in the future.

UAE FTA signed

New Zealand’s free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now been signed.

Machinery & Products

Batten Buddy - cleverly simple

Stopping livestock from escaping their environment is a “must do” for any farmers or landowners and at times can seem…

U10 Pro Highland a step up

A few weeks after driving the CF MOTO U10 Pro ‘entry level’ model, we’ve had a chance to test the…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Drunk on power!

OPINION: The end-of-year booze-up at the posh Northern Club in Auckland must have been a beauty, as the legal 'elite'…

Time has come?

OPINION: It divides opinion, but the House has passed the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter