New Zealand
April 5, 2016

Minor amendments to the rules around genetic modification just don’t go far enough says NZBIO.

Dr Will Barker, the CEO of the biotechnology industry body, says the Government needs to have a further look at the recommendations made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) late last year.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced a “minor amendment” to the rules to cover off old-technology that had not been identified in the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) 1996.

Dr Barker says the timing of the Government’s announcement was interesting.
“We were in a room full of some of New Zealand’s top scientists, listening to the world-beating research that they were doing and having to ship offshore to complete and we heard that Cabinet had agreed to minor changes,” Dr Barker says.

“New Zealand needs to understand that science is rapidly advancing and this country is getting left behind. The HSNO ACT is well past its use-by date.
“New Zealanders need a fully informed debate around what is possible for the economy, in terms of agriculture, food and medicines as well as renewable energy, using science – some of which is genetic modification. Instead of emotive driven, often non-factual rhetoric, we should really examine truths around genetic modification and other non-GMO technologies which unfortunately get classified as GM under the current legislation.”

NZBIO hosted an agriculture biotech symposium at Massey University focused on how New Zealand can grow its exports and diversify the economy. It covered pastoral, arable, food and crop biotech. Scientists discussed their frustration over having to go offshore to complete research or field trials – or give the technology away in an “aid-based programme”.

Website: http://www.nzbio.org.nz

Published: April 20, 2016