Risks include Social & Ethical Issues. The High Cost of Patented GMO Seeds. Marginalizing Rural Farming Communities. Loss of Traditional practices of seed saving and exchange among farmers to keep costs down. Reduced Food Sovereignty in New Zealand. Risks to our Domestic Market also a potential risk to Exports and NZs Economy * Exportation of Crops * Horticultural * Dairy Products . Ignores the right for Farmers and Consumers to make their own choices not to be put at risk from the likelihood of ‘Cross Seed Pollination Flow’. The  GMO seed flow to Non-GMO Crops and Organic Farms, Human and Animal Health Risks. Contaminations and Toxins. Corporate Capture of Food Systems.

 A few  Multicorporations having dominant power over Seed Patents.  Market Concentration where a wave of Mega Mergers eventuate in agrochemicals this includes Giants such as  *Bayer (Which acquired Monsanto.  * Corteva a spinoff of (DowDupont)….. *Sygenta (Owned by ChemChina).

Dominant Bio-Tech Companies where Farmers are dependent on them for multiply products. Farmers that purchase these patented seeds also must buy the matching herbicide from the same corporation (Seeds and Chemicals). The High Costs because of the Corporate nature of GMO Farming. And the Risk of Cross pollination of crops. Some GMO Crops have been developed with ‘Terminator Technology’ this means the seeds are sterile after one growing season.. locking farmers into the cycle of seed dependency and the power of price manipulation. (Unfair Competition)  Reducing Farmers profit margin. The risks, threat from the passing of the Gene Technology Bill (2024) is huge.

Dangers of gene technology include potential health risks like unforeseen allergic reactions or toxins from new genetic combinations, and agricultural risks such as the development of herbicide-resistant “superweeds,” gene flow to wild relatives, and impacts on non-target species. There are also concerns about a lack of adequate regulation and labeling, the potential for large corporations to dominate the food supplies..Time and time again I have read reports documenting that its ‘CRUCIAL’ there is Long-Term Monitoring of Gene Therapy. And how there is a potential to harm Human, Animal & Plant Life for a variety of concerning reasons.

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424534/ ) (Unintended effects associated with the genetic-engineering process (for example, DNA changes resulting from plant tissue culture).

Human Health Effects of Genetically Engineered Crops. Some of the evidence available to the committee came from documents that were part of the U.S. regulatory process for GE crops conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Other evidence came from studies published by regulatory agencies in other countries or by companies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and academic institutions. The committee also sought evidence from the public and from the speakers at its public meetings and webinars.¹.. ”The Risk of GE crops is that the genetic-engineering process could cause “unnatural” changes in a plant’s own naturally occurring proteins or metabolic pathways and result in the unexpected production of toxins or allergens in food”.

Unintended effects of the targeted genetic changes on other characteristics of the food (for example, the intended presence of or increase in one compound in plant cells could result in changes in plant metabolism that affect the abundance of other compounds).  (Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects

United Nations – Playing with Genes..The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Moreover, there can be unintended health consequences of genetically modified crop production, including increased risks of contamination and loss of biodiversity. The downside risks can be even uglier. Genetic modifications can potentially lead to the production of “designer babies” and super-humans and fundamentally alter the human species. Genomic research can be weaponized to target and harm specific population groups. The legal, ethical and moral boundaries of using genetic technologies are increasingly unclear, creating opportunities for their misuse and abuse (https://policy.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/eapd2023/publication/FTQ_May_2019.pdf)

WakeUpNZ

RESEARCHER: Cassie