Rushed GE Law Changes Leave Farmers Facing Uncertainty And Unfair Costs

The Government is rushing through a radical overhaul of gene technology laws without doing the necessary groundwork, leaving farmers, growers, food companies and exporters trying to understand the risks, compliance costs, and impacts on their businesses.

Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) says the process has significant shortcomings, with effectively no consultation, insufficient due diligence and no clarity for food producers, regardless of their views on genetic engineering (GE) or their production systems.

“This is not about being for or against GE,” said Rob Simcic, OANZ Chair. “This is about basic fairness for all farmers, growers and food producers. As drafted, the new Gene Technology Bill has the potential to transfer all the risk and uncertainty onto food producers while offering them no answers about what it will cost or how it will work. This is a complex and nuanced issue. Farmers, growers, and exporters may be left scrambling to figure out what this rushed legislation means for their businesses, because the process is being pushed through with very limited consultation.”

Government has acknowledged that use of GMOs in the field will cost Non-GM food producers, but can’t say how much and appears to be leaving farmers and food companies that supply GM sensitive markets to bear the burden of GM contamination or trade disruptions.

“It doesn’t matter what your production system is, everyone is asking the same question: what will this cost me and my farming business? And the Government has no answers,” said Tiffany Tompkins, OANZ Chief Executive.

The Gene Technology Bill, which has passed the first reading and is now sitting with the Health Select Committee, has bypassed essential steps such as economic analysis of the risks and compliance costs and consultation with those directly impacted.

In November, OANZ released an economic analysis by NZIER assessing the value of New Zealand’s current GE-free status and the premium it provides to primary sector exporters. The report suggests that the environmental release of GMOs in New Zealand could reduce primary sector exports by $10 to $20 billion annually.

At the time, the Government pushed back on those numbers but hasn’t itself done any work to assess the value of GM Free status to New Zealand’s food export economy. “Until the Government commissions further analysis, those are the numbers”, said Tiffany Tompkins, OANZ Chief Executive.

“New Zealand farmers, growers and food producers deserve a process that is fair, transparent, and thorough—not one that leaves them to pick up the pieces,” added Mr Simcic.

OANZ remains committed to advocating for a fair and transparent process and encourages all food producers, regardless of their views on genetic engineering, to engage in this critical conversation.

The Health Select Committee met this morning and has now opened the submission process, just 13 hours after the Bill passed its first reading. Submissions are due by 17 February 2025.

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