New food bill in New Zealand

[bℓσωηG]

New food bill in New Zealand takes away human right to grow food

I was shocked to learn from a friend on the weekend that a new Food Bill is being brought in here in New Zealand. The new bill will make it a privilege and not a right to grow food.

I find two aspects of this bill alarming. The first is the scope and impact the new bill has, and secondly that it has all happened so quietly. There has been VERY little media coverage, on a bill which promises to jeopardise the future food security of the country.

I read that the bill is being brought in because of the WTO, which of course has the US FDA behind it, and of course that is influenced by big business (Monsanto and other players). It looks like this NZ food bill will pave the way to reduce the plant diversity and small owner operations in New Zealand, for example by way of controlling the legality of seed saving and trading/barter/giving away; all will be potentially illegal. The best website to read about the problems with the new bill is http://nzfoodsecurity.org (I have no connection with this website)

Here are some snippets:

- It turns a human right (to grow food and share it) into a government-authorised privilege that can be summarily revoked.

- It makes it illegal to distribute "food" without authorisation, and it defines "food" in such a way that it includes nutrients, seeds, natural medicines, essential minerals and drinks (including water).

- By controlling seeds, the bill takes the power to grow food away from the public and puts it in the hands of seed companies. That power may be abused.

- Growing food for distribution must be authorised, even for "cottage industries", and such authorisation can be denied.

- Under the Food Bill, Police acting as Food Safety Officers can raid premises without a warrant, using all equipment they deem necessary – including guns (Clause 265 – 1).

- Members of the private sector can also be Food Safety Officers, as at Clause 243. So Monsanto employees can raid premises – including marae – backed up by armed police.

- The Bill gives Food Safety Officers immunity from criminal and civil prosecution.

- The Government has created this bill to keep in line with its World Trade Organisation obligations under an international scheme called Codex Alimentarius ("Food Book"). So it has to pass this bill in one form or another.

- The bill would undermine the efforts of many people to become more self-sufficient within their local communities.

- Seed banks and seed-sharing networks could be shut down if they could not obtain authorisation. Loss of seed variety would make it more difficult to grow one's own food.

- Home-grown food and some or all seed could not be bartered on a scale or frequency necessary to feed people in communities where commercially available food has become unaffordable or unavailable (for example due to economic collapse).

- Restrictions on the trade of food and seed would quickly lead to the permanent loss of heirloom strains, as well as a general lowering of plant diversity in agriculture.

- Organic producers of heirloom foods could lose market share to big-money agribusiness outfits, leading to an increase in the consumption of nutrient-poor and GE foods.

…

The key factor is seeds. In many cases they specifically are food, of course. Grain seed, seed potatoes, rice, maize, quinoa, many staples etc etc – as the bill stands all these will explicitly be controlled substances, with similar penalties for possession as drugs.

This being so, the unenforceability of prohibiting people from growing food for local distribution becomes a moot point. No good seeds means no good food (if any food at all) to distribute.

 

http://investmentwat...t-to-grow-food/

 

 

Edited December 3, 2011 by bℓσωηG

[dollarjuice]

Seriously? I can't believe a government could get away with something like this? It almost doesn't seem real.

[Yawning Man]

This is seriously fucked up. Scary. Stock up on heirloom and heritage seed. How long until we see something like this in Australia? And why New Zealand? Is that such a big food bowl for the world? This is something I feel I NEED to follow.

This is truly something i'd die for or go to jail. I'm gonna grow what ever the fuck food I want because I can. I'm allowed to ffs. Thank you for posting Blowng and for bringing it to my attention!

Peace

[Sheather]

- The Bill gives Food Safety Officers immunity from criminal and civil prosecution.

This makes my bullshit alarms SCREAM. Immunity from criminal persecution? Oh no, you killed your wife and kids, but it's okay because you're a food safety officer? This makes more sense when the next bit is added (still bad though)

2) The person is protected from civil and criminal liability for any act that the person does or omits to do—

(a) under a requirement of this Act; or

(b} in the performance of the person’s functions or duties, or the exercise of the person's powers, under a requirement of this Act—

(i) in good faith; and

(ii) with reasonable cause; or

(c} in the performance of the person’s functions or duties, or the exercise of the person's powers, under this Act—

(i) in good faith; and

(ii) with reasonable cause.

leading to an increase in the consumption of nutrient-poor and GE foods.

An increase of Genetically Engineered foods? I didn't know you could go above 100%. As is, all vegetables and fruits grown for consumption are "genetically engineered"

I agree that this would be awful in the event that it passed, but some of this stuff seems sensational rather than factual.

The definition of "food" is stated here, and I do not think that covers seeds unless the seeds are meant for consumption or preparation (as in wheat or corn). The specifications in this clause mention "constituents" and "ingredients" of a food or drink, but seeds are precursors for a plant, of which the food may emerge. Though, on further reading, the definition of "food business" may cover trade of seeds. I cannot be sure.

Part4, subpart 6 indicates that a search warrant is required, as it is the requirements of the search warrant content.

Edited December 3, 2011 by Sheather

[bogfrog]

this sounds like the prelude to a dystopian science fiction novel

i'm scared

thanks a fucking bunch john key

all of next weeks money will be devoted to seeds

Edited December 3, 2011 by bogfrog

[noshiewa]

thanks for sharing, damn thats scary !!! will be looking into this more and see what else can be done to help stop this insanity

[LokStok]

google "codex alimentaris".

This has been brewing for a while, first in parts of Europe & Canada.

[gilligan]

Fuck that.

Checked this on the web, there was something about the bitch who brought I in, keatly or something. It commented that people should have made their voices heard in submission stage.

How do we find out if this is coming to a nanny state near us?!? I wanna make waves. Can we preempt it by getting people aware of it?

The eu high court just made a call that the French law on this or similar is unconstitutional...

[dundee]

aussie next, to go with the tax on the air we breath

[Xenodimensional]

If this comes to pass on Australian soil, I am reasonably certain that average joe will be led to believe it's a good thing.

[dundee]

If this comes to pass on Australian soil, I am reasonably certain that average joe will be led to believe it's a good thing.

 

average joe would believe a poke in the eye with a pointy stick would be good for them if they saw it on tv

[Roopey]

http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/seeds-how-to-criminalize-them/

[Mycot]

Three cheers for democracy. Shoulda voted for Hitler.

[chilli]

A perspective from a non-Alex Jones kind of website:

http://permaculture.org.au/2011/11/24/new-zealands-160-2-food-bill-an-opportunity/