URGENT: NZ Food Bill to be passed after Christmas
Mon 16 Jan 2012: URGENT: NZ Food Bill to be passed after ChristmasJodie Bruning
There is a piece of legislation going through NZ parliament at the moment called the Food Bill. There is not much information in the media because the media aren’t or can’t talk about it. It will be snuck through faster than a greasy pig while we are on holidays in January. We need action now to get 50,000 signatures – already nearly 13,000 have signed – not enough and we potentially have less than TWO WEEKS.
Some parts of this bill involve change that is good. But some parts are completely insane/horrendous and have the potential to compromise your health in the future, because they reduce the ability for small food producers to produce and give away/sell seeds and food. And it would be policed by Food Officers, not needing a warrant, not government employees, & apparently having immunity from civil or criminal prosecution! This is in the legislation!
And what is different about this legislation is it comes under an international rule called ‘Codex’ or ‘Codex Alimentarius’. If we go along with Codex, NZ then CAN’T CHANGE the legislation in future. This is what is really appalling about this. It is not Common Law, it is Napoleonic Code. It hasn’t happened before with food and is a quiet part of Codex that most people don’t realise. We would actually have to get out of the W.H.O. to change this legislation if we didn’t like it – which is just not a thing governments do. We would be stuck. So we need to take time on this legislation, not fast track it through at Christmas time.
What’s really shocking about this is that these rules are developed to say we need ‘food safety’. (Because we all know home grown veggies are worse for us than mass produced stuff?!?) But what they really mean is to get rid of little producers, little growers and keep the growing of food in the hands of the big companies. Codex wasn’t designed by governments and independent think tanks; it was developed by mega corporations – pharmacy, agribusiness, chemical. These laws were NOT initially drafted by the NZ government, but by lawyers employed by big international corporates.
We need to stop this legislation as parliament want to sneak it through while people are on holidays in January (which is what they do when legislation is controversial). At a later date it can then be reviewed and amended.
Main problems with Food Bill 160-2:
- Home & small growers who grow small amounts of food and sell locally NEED to be exempt – they are not.
- Seeds for cultivation and food seedlings NEED TO NOT BE within the definition ‘food’ under the Bill. (This is huge – imagine you not being able to produce seed and give away!!). This sounds crazy but seeds will be ‘explicitly controlled substances’ (like drugs) – seriously. Why? Not sci-fi – in time whoever controls the food chain protects their own interests. (This is so unbelievable that I believe this is why we are not acting.)
- 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) (What is the precedent for this? Why is this necessary?)
- Members of the private sector can also be Food Safety Officers, as at Clause 243. E.g. Monsanto employees can raid premises – including marae – backed up by armed police. (This has never happened before or needed to happen.
- AND Food Safety Officers have immunity from criminal and civil prosecution. What is the precedent for this?
Go to Petition on Line to oppose this bill. Send to as many friends as you can and urge them to do the same – urgently!! Spread by sharing on Facebook, twitter etc. If you can, phone people, text people, email people. Don’t leave a stone unturned to get to the 50,000 in less than two weeks!!
And don’t forget to click on the link in the return email to confirm your account for the petition.
These petitions are internationally recognised and your details are safe – email addresses WILL NOT be passed on.
It has been under the radar as the media won’t talk about it. Advertisers won’t let it in and anyone trying to write an opposing view is lobbed off as ‘weird hippies’ or whatever. Professionals who are deeply anxious about this legislation won’t/can’t write/talk about it because their careers/integrity could be undermined. Quite disturbing. This needs attention and thought. You make up your own mind.
Treat it like some conspiracy theory and don’t necessarily believe what I say. Be cynical, look this up, research it, please be informed.
Why didn’t I do anything earlier? Because I simply didn’t realise all the implications. Because it is just so complex. And I couldn’t believe it all.
But please – don’t sit on this like I did – act quickly.
Cheers,
Jodie Bruning
Tauranga
Follow these links to find out more:
NZfoodsecurity.org/food security
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