We'll rip crops from fields, say organic farmers

By NAOMI LARKIN

Organic farmers are threatening to dig up genetically modified crops if the Government allows GM field trials.

Tony Higginson, representative of the Far North Organic Growers and Producers, said yesterday that organic farmers were devastated by the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification's report.

This recommends approval be given to field trials of GM crops and suggests new proposals for "conditional release" of GM organisms.

"We are absolutely staggered and gutted at the findings of this commission. We cannot understand how they can ignore and refute the submissions made by organic producers, both local and international."

The commission's $6.2 million report said it would be unwise for New Zealand to turn its back on the potential of GM technology, but urged caution.

It rejected as impractical the idea of the country being GM-free.

Mr Higginson said growers and producers would make fresh submissions, protest and rip up GM crops if the recommendations were accepted. The Green Party said it would join the campaign to overturn the report and warned that it might downgrade its support for the Labour-Alliance Government.

"They [the Government] will make their response in the full knowledge of our likely response to their response," said Greens co-leader Rod Donald.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said yesterday: "Obviously the Greens are valued allies. We'll keep talking to them through this process."

HortResearch scientist Dr Dan Cohen said GM crops could be grown alongside non-GM crops without contamination if they were not the same crop.

"If someone is growing a crop of maize and someone wants to grow a crop of GM maize next door there is a possibility of cross-pollination. If someone is growing a crop of GM maize and someone is growing a crop of pumpkins there is no risk of cross-pollination."

GM itself would not increase the risk of contamination, Dr Cohen said. "Most of the risks people are talking about are things that have been determined within a laboratory."

Tawhai McClutchie of Sun First Organics, in Ruatoria, said his company's pending export deals covering organic kumara, pork and raspberries to Britain, Italy and Germany could be cancelled if the recommendations were accepted.

"The UK could say to us, 'We are not very happy now to be looking at your produce because you are now following a pathway which you have no control of'."

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Full report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification

GE lessons from Britain

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