Release of GE crops to be assessed case-by-case

8.00am - By KENT ATKINSON

Genetically engineered crops can coexist alongside conventional farming, the Government says.

Cabinet papers released today show the Government has not followed the recommendation from the Royal Commission on genetic engineering and developed an industry code of practice for buffer zones between GE and unaltered crops.

Instead, Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton said today that coexistence was possible by considering each use of GE organism on a case-by-case basis, with different approaches for vaccines, animals and plants.

The papers show the Government expects the use of GE animals in containment for research or pharmaceutical production, or GE plants in contained field trials, to continue for now.

A moratorium on the commercial release of GE crops and animals will continue until October, and after that, each new organism will required assessment and approval by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma).

The papers show that after October, the Government expects applications for agronomic evaluations of GE onions and GE potatoes, followed by applications for similar releases of GE pasture grasses, including bloat-resistant clovers and ryegrass with improved nutritional qualities "and possibly some animal vaccines".

Some New Zealand farmers are looking beyond current commercially-available GE crops -- with attributes such as herbicide or insect resistance -- to so-called "pharming", or growing crops engineered to produce high-value pharmaceuticals or vaccines.

Mr Sutton said in a statement the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act will be amended to create a new conditional release category so that Erma can impose controls on how new organisms approved for release are managed in the environment.

Overseas experience showed three elements essential to effective coexistence of GE and non-GE farming:

* regulations to protect the environment and human safety by preventing or managing adverse effects, with clear responsibilities for management and enforcement of conditions;

* a case-by-case approach tailored to specific characteristics of each GE crop or animal; and,

* a "whole-of-production-chain" approach from seed production to paddock management, and post-harvest handling and distribution.

The paper released by Mr Sutton was one of three expected from the Government today.

The second, which Mr Sutton also released, canvassed practical issues such as transfer of GE pollen between crops, or its presence in honey, and implications of some GE plants for users of "organic" Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticides.

A third paper was due to be released by Treasury, addressing the issue of the likely economic costs and benefits of releasing GE organisms into the environment.

The cabinet paper from Mr Sutton's office said many cropping farmers believed it was technically possible to separate GE and non-GE crops, but would not grow GE crops themselves for economic reasons.

The main problem which had shown up overseas in terms of coexistence was the unintended presence of GE material in non-GE products, particularly plant products.

"Pollen transfer cannot be ruled out completely in all circumstances".

But New Zealand crop farmers who were used to tracking seed crops or organic produce for purity, or tracing meat exports for quality and food safety, should be able to used those capabilities in separating GE crops.

Many initial GE crops were likely to be high-value and kept segregated from ordinary plants.

"Only a few applications to Erma are likely in the medium term, and mostly for agronomic of environmental evaluation," the paper said.

The Green Party said the cabinet papers confirmed that the Government expected New Zealanders to accept a level of GE contamination.

"It is an abuse of human and consumer rights to expect consumers, and organic and conventional farmers and growers, to accept GE contamination," party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said.

"This is something they have repeatedly said they passionately do not want."

Ms Fitzsimons said the papers confirmed the Royal Commission's finding that co-existence was only possible if some level of contamination of GE-free crops was allowed.

"The Government clearly proposes to put in place a tolerance level of contamination that growers and consumers don't want, but are going to be forced to accept."


- NZPA