The call by Green Party agriculture spokesperson Steffan Browning for public consultation on the Food Bill to be reopened is the first sane comment yet from Wellington on this fraught matter. As it stands the Food Bill proposes to over-regulate small scale and private food growing and production to the point where it could become nothing more than a mess of red tape. It also delivers the most draconian powers to that group of enforcers known as food safety officers, giving them right of access without search warrants, impunity from prosecution, and the option of carrying arms.
Food safety minister Kate Wilkinson’s claim that opposition to the Bill in its current form is scaremongering has seriously underestimated the New Zealand public’s respect for their existing food culture of home production and healthy gardening. If she and those other parties who have supported the current Bill in its present form believe that people will take politicians’ word that food freedoms are safe, they are quite simply out of touch, and are unaware of how deeply politicians are distrusted.
The Food Bill is nothing more than a swathe of obfuscating legalese through which the ogre of authoritarian control can assert its power over our daily lives. The fact that this is being done in the name of healthier food is not only an insult to the intelligence of those who know New Zealand does not have a problem with out of control food pathogens, it begs the question as to why government seems so intent on pressing ahead with the Bill in its present form. No wonder every conspiracy theory from UN manipulation to a Nazi plot has been cited as the “true agenda” behind the Bill.
The number of people who actually die from food-borne pathogens annually in this country is miniscule, pathetic when compared with the drowning toll. So why such an enormous expense in bureaucratic effort and public funds on drafting a bill? Sledge hammers and peanuts come to mind, unless you buy into one of the conspiracy theories.
Which may not be as silly as it seems. Certainly there is a trade agenda in delivering a food safety regime in New Zealand that complies with the World Trade Organisation’s determination to have the food world under an industrial control system that takes little account of artisan or organic practices.
However there is also a trade aspect to maintaining the sort of individual hands-on food business that has creative scope to innovate. That is how our much vaunted dairy industry made its start, as did deer farming, kiwifruit growing, and New Zealand wine. By shutting down those potential innovations, where are the exciting food products of the future going to come from. Most certainly not from the industrial food producers whose record of innovative product development is pathetic.
What the Food Bill fails to recognise is also the real threat to public health of the vast quantity of “hollow calorie” foods that research tells us are the real challenge to our wellbeing, through their high levels of synthetic content. This is the cause of the diabetes epidemic that threatens our health to a level of magnitude well beyond that of common food pathogens. This is where the minister of food safety needs to be active if she is genuine in her concern for improving food safety.
Strangely, she is silent on this matter, while food labelling that allows the general public to make informed decisions about what they eat continues in the style of total obfuscation that characterises the Food Bill. No wonder conspiracy theorists are having a field day. Thankfully, the Greens have offered a voice of reason. With luck, and parliamentary goodwill, just in the nick of time.
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Gun toting food safety officers – now that is some to be very, very afraid of….
Tevor Walsh, this is exactly the sort of comment which feeds the Minister and allows her to call the critics scaremongers and other worse names. There won’t be “gun toting food safety officers” since we have a firearms law in New Zealand which doesn’t allow anyone to run around with guns and storm peoples business premises unless they are part of the police force or the defense force. I wish people would stop painting these unnecessary wild west scenarios. The food bill is bad enough without this. And it makes us critics look stupid.
Looks like the same ridiculous legislation is being passed in the states at the same time. Its called the Food Safety Modernization Act and its just as scarey…
http://www.prisonplanet.com/senate-bill-s-510-food-safety-modernization-act-vote-imminent-would-outlaw-gardening-and-saving-seeds.html
The number of people killed by unsanitary or contaminated food is low, but its preventable and should be. Most of the problem is ignorance. However the numbers dying and disabled by unsafe food which causes non communicable diseases, heart disease, diabetes etc is huge and a true threat to society. When we have a fpood bill that does not put a certificate up for the local chips and chubby chicken joint, then I will respect the regulations.
Trevor: The bill does not allow food safety officers to have guns. What it does do is allow both public and private sector officers to enter premises without a warrant and seize property, issue orders to desist, and it gives them immunity from civil and criminal liability. It’s also open-ended in that regulations can be changed with not much oversight.
Small growers, organic farmers,cottage industries, health/organic shops have not consulted
or informed when the submission was open. They are producing the highest quality products and NZ natural products are very poplar export market worth over 1 billion dollar profits last year. I believe that Kate Wilkinson should discuss the Food Bill
to those tens of thousands of people in NZ Natural food industries and stop attacking and rubbishing people who use their democratic rights to genuinely questioning about true intentions of the Food Bill 160-2. They are contributing to the NZ export industry and their view should be respected. They are not the opponents or the food bill but the people who will directly affected by this bill.
Hardly any growers or food producers sent submissions to the select committee.Apparently the government did not want to inform
those hard working farmers and growers. Only big corporations such as Fonterra, Progressive Super market groups, Woolworth,
Christchurch City Council were informed. Why CCC never inform the Canterbury farmers and growers by using proper communication
method to reach them???
Why Kate Wilkinson is so defensive and reject all suggestions even made by Green MPs?
Once she is replaced by another Minister, what she is promising now will be void and she will be immune to any prosecution
or liabilities as those Food security officers described in this Food Bill. What is she saying is opposite to what actually this Bill says.
Once this bill is passed it would be impossible to reverse, amend, or make exemptions as it is part of WHO, TPPA, and demands from global food control company Codex. If the democracy of NZ to die then MPs will voting for this Bill.How can we tell them the truth behind this Bill which was written by American Lawyers not by NZ Lawyers. Tens of thousands of people opposing Food Bill has done their research with many proof to present but when MPs are too busy with local issues and overseas trips, they probably
no time to read and do research except reading local newspapers. In my opinion, most MPs have not even read this 600 page bill
which takes away democracy and NZ sovereignty gradually but not straight away. After the government pass this bill they will be quiet about it for a while and say to people that “See we told you that nothing to worry about,” then suddenly they could raid and close organic farms to make way to GE seeds which bankrupted thousands of farmers in US, Canada and India. Then those farms/lands would be seized by the big corporations. Those who engaged in production of food should be protected by government
not punished by red tapes and tight regulation with heavy fines, When growers commit offence the fine increased from $2000 to
$10,000. which could bankrupt any small producers on top of the annual registration fee of $400. NZ food borne illness mainly come from the poor hygiene of the customers who buys clean food but ignore their personal hygiene and not cook or store properly. Only less than 10 people die from food poisoning each year which is very low comparing with other countries. There are thousands of KIwis die from medical misadventure and complications from the prescribed drugs. People should be educated how to handle chicken and raw meat/fish, how to preserve/store properly in fridge,
importance of had washing and cleaning the soil from veges and fruit. Kate Wilkinson should take responsibility for what she is saying to the media including all the newspapers in NZ as she is denying the registrations clearly written
in this Food Bill 160-2. Even Ministry of Health paper raised concern and said “Food bill is focusing on improving business certainty with no discussion on any impact of achieving Food Safety.
Petition opposing this Food Bill 160-2 is here