The essence of this policy will be based on the principles of ‘awareness’ and ‘balance’.
- New Zealand should be able to be self sufficient. Instead 75% of our grain is imported, while we produce vast quantities of dairy for export. If there was a global emergency right now we would find it difficult to manage, therefore this policy will include establishing a food security plan.
2. Organic by 2025 nb: In animal tests on GE food, it is pretty well established that they destroy the immune system. Quite simply, totally foreign arrangements of DNA just cannot be coped with. We can expect human life expectancy to begin to drop as once these things are in the environment there is no going back – and organic agriculture and GE crops cannot co-exist.
“Ignoring potential non-target detrimental side effects of any chemical, especially one used as heavily as glyphosate [Monsanto’s RoundUp herbicide], may have dire consequences for agriculture such as rendering soils infertile, crops non-productive, and plants less nutritious. To do so might well compromise not only agricultural sustainability, but also the health and well-being of animals and humans.”
See HERE for 10 reasons to avoid GMOS
3.Monsanto’s RoundUp “May Have Dire Consequences for Agriculture”
4. Is cloned meat safe? New Zealand’s GE expert Jon Carapiet is interviewed by radio Rheema 10/8/2010
5. The Story of Soil. Healthy soil is a complex community of life and actually supports the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet.
6. Hear Graeme Sait on Greenplanetfm speaking about profound interdependence of soil microflora of bacteria and fungi that is crucial to plant growth.
7. Don’t pine for our clean green brand, stop GE! by Gareth Hughes of The Green Party.
8. Compassion in animal farming practices:
As a move away from factory farming practices and principles, The Awareness party would promote EDUCATION on:
-The value of eating less meat, both for personal health and the environment….(this would reduce meat consumption and make the following possible)
- the need to kill humanely, recommending mobile slaughter units to avoid animals suffering on long trips in trucks in inhumane crowded conditions
- reduce herd numbers so cows eat clean grass and not grass that has been trampled and urinated on…(this also improves the soil quality)
- kindness and compassion in the raising of all animals for meat and other products
– awareness of fish numbers and species, and consciousness around eating choices and net trawling practices
LAWS could be set in place that would:
- require that animals don’t view another being killed….(which releases fear hormones into the animal, which then humans eat)
- that pigs, chickens, cows and all animals live in free range conditions reducing the need for antibiotics and other routinely fed medicines and supplements
- ban genetic engineering of all animals
- ban imports of palm kernel for the dairy industry…. (let cows eat grass)
As we move away from corporate farming and back to local food production, the above suggestions will be able to be implemented.
