Meat NZ urges caution in using biotechnology

Meat New Zealand says it wants to see a market-led approach and careful adoption of gene technology.

Chief executive Neil Taylor told the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification hearing in Wellington yesterday that food safety was of critical importance to the meat industry.

"Meat New Zealand will not support the use of GM products in the food chain, unless consumer views change significantly."

But he said the organisation had undertaken extensive consultation with stakeholders and had a strong and clear mandate to do research into new gene technologies.

Meat NZ is the producer board that represents lamb, beef and goat-meat interests.

"Knowledge applied to our natural resources provides the platform for product development and the base for new add-on industries to emerge - known as the knowledge economy," Mr Taylor told the commission members.

He said NZ's research and development programmes had to use new biotechnology tools to stay successful in an increasingly competitive and global market.

"Meat New Zealand believes such an approach is compatible with other forms of production, including organic meat production."

Mr Taylor said potential benefits could be measured in both social and economic terms and included health breakthroughs such as new vaccines and medicines and positive environmental outcomes such as biological control of pests, land sustainability and reduced fertiliser and chemical inputs.

"Of particular relevance to the pastoral sector are the possibilities for new diagnostic tools, animal health products and marker-assisted selection (MAS) programmes that use knowledge of genes as markers to improve productivity, meat quality and forage plant performance."

Meat NZ considered the technology and its application in terms of food safety and environmental impact to be sound and safe, provided due regard was placed on potential risks and comprehensive testing procedures were followed.

Mr Taylor said Meat NZ's proposed investment in gene technology would be deliberately conservative and would focus on gaining knowledge about genes.

"These techniques provide enormous opportunity to enhance and speed up natural plant and animal breeding approaches, through the use of MAS," he said.

"We consider these new technologies will also advance our interests in the key areas of improving food safety and the market acceptability of consumer products, and in animal welfare."

He said Meat NZ saw potential for improvements in profitability and growth in the meat sector from biotechnology, and even greater benefits should consumers accept GE products.

Mr Taylor said it was critical, for reasons of competitiveness, that the meat industry was free to make the right choices in relation to those being pursued by customers and trading partners.

- NZPA

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