9/9/2026 – New Zealand’s agricultural
sector and environment is in danger from industry and
international pressured legislative amendments that do not
effectively manage risk.
This would mean that farmers,
growers, food manufacturers and consumers would have little
in the way of protection against GE contamination of the
business, food supply and the environment.
The HSNO*
and ACVM** amendment Bills protecting the guidelines of
genetically engineered organisms (GE) and pesticides go to
second reading on the 17 September. Both these Bills with
the closely related Gene Technology Bill essentially aim to
fast track approvals and invalidate the existing precautions
around genetically engineered organisms. [1].
“The
HSNO report has tweaked the edges ignoring the risks and
signals the intent to introduce the reckless permissive
industry written Gene Technology Bill,” said Claire
Bleakley, president of GE Free NZ “Ensuring there is
legislation protecting the ability to farm without GE
contamination or pesticide drift will be a major issue for
this election.”
New pesticides currently go through
an approval process are carried out by two authorities, The
HSNO Act, administered by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), regulates the environmental and human health
issues and places controls on a pesticides. The ACVM Act
administered by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI)
determines the safety of pesticides, adverse events for
workers health and sets the maximum residue levels (MRL)
allowed for plants and animals.[2], [3].
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The EPA has
just permitted 102 new experimental pesticides whose
compounds are unknown, for glasshouse and field trials. It
is suspected that some of them will be made from synthetic
double stranded RNA (dsRNA) which the EPA has deemed non-GM.
RNA effects can be just as dangerous as GMO as they can
interfere with DNA activity in the plant or animal involved
and also in other unintended organisms.
“Given that
HSNO and ACVM amendment Bills lack the guidelines for safety
for the environment, health or economic impacts, the EPA and
MPI cannot effectively manage or assess risks that are still
unknown,” said Dr Dommisse.
“Novel pesticides and
Genetically engineered organisms (GE) are a threat to New
Zealand Agriculture and the HSNO and ACVM Amendment Bills
should be withdrawn
immediately.
Notes:
* HSNO
-Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Amendment (HSNO)
Bill
** ACVM – Agricultural Chemicals and Veterinary
Medicines
Amendment
References:
[1] https://selectcommittees.parliament.nz/v/SelectCommitteeReport/237aff10-f9b3-45ba-1c50-08df0d2f868d?lang=en
[2]
https://www.epa.govt.nz/about-us/what-we-do/
[3]
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/agriculture/agricultural-compounds-vet-medicines/adverse-events-with-acvms
