Greenpeace Tells The Commission Why Genetic Engineering Must Be Banned
Auckland 16 February 2001 – Greenpeace has welcomed the opportunity to present compelling evidence on why genetically
engineered organisms should not be released into the environment.
This morning at the Auckland District Court, Greenpeace and five international witnesses are telling the Royal
Commission on Genetic Modification why genetic engineering is a living pollution that is irreversible, unnecessary and
unpredictable.
Appearing before the Commission will be: Annette Cotter for Greenpeace New Zealand, Dr Doreen Stabinsky, Scientific
Advisor for Greenpeace, Bill Christison president of the National Family Farm coalition from the United States,
Professor Terje Traavik, from the School of Medicine at the University of Tromso and advisor to the Norwegian government
on genetic engineering, Anuradha Mittal from the US based Institute for Food and Development Policy, and Professor
Johnathan King from the Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The five International witnesses will be supporting Greenpeace arguments that field trials of genetically engineered
crops should be rejected, that there are alternative forms of traditional breeding for New Zealand science to support
and the best commercial and ecological future for New Zealand is to be GE free.
For more information: Tamsin Vuetilovoni 025 790 817