Sent to some select friends, part of this was also logged under Dr. Mann's BLOG.

Dear Friends,

After 9/11, for no more that 48 hours, we looked into ourselves and asked, "Why do they hate us?"

The major biochemical companies introduced genetically modified food into our food chain without our choice or even our knowledge and gave us the taco shell recall, genetic pollution, increased use of Roundup, terminator seeds, lower yields, etc. While I tend to have increasingly conservative views of most matters, this is one "liberal" issue that I embrace wholeheartedly due to the deception and the revolving door between industry and the FDA. I have seen articles in reputable publications supporting the GM food sweep, however, looking beneath the covers, there was always a covert money trail from the biochemical industry pushing forward their agenda.

I have requested more supporting documents regarding the leverage the U.S. is placing on New Zealand in this matter. If you have any, I would appreciate your forwarding the information to me. Remember, this gained momentum during the Clinton years and the Bush administration seems to have taken a "tread lightly" approach to the whole issue so as to not stifle the economy. Mind you, the U.S. is not the only country pushing this horserace agenda (China, Japan, France, etc. are all in the club)...it just seems to be the most visible, and we, humanity will suffer the long-term effects.

Regards,
Gary

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22 December 2003

Press Release

ERMA FAILS ON ALL COUNTS AS N.Z. GOVERNMENT BOWS TO PRESSURE FROM BUSH

ERMA has failed on all counts with it's approval of the GE Onion
Trials, according to Charles Drace, author of "Everything You Need to
Know About GE but the Government Won't Tell You - a genetic
engineering resources book."

* ERMA is supposed to assess the risks of GE technology and provide a
protective framework so GE doesn't pose risks to the environment.
Yet, they've approved an application for trials that are specifically
designed to AVOID showing those risks, known risks like horizontal
gene transfer, pollen contamination, soil contamination, and adverse
effects on insects. It's also been designed to avoid the study of the
proven adverse effects on health associated with this type of GE
technology.

* ERMA is supposed to only approve the use of technology that brings
a potential benefit to the country. Yet, the purpose of these trials
is to develop technology for the use of and future profitability of
an American company, Semenis, and to help the chemical powerhouse
Monsanto sell more chemicals.... in other words, for the profits to
go overseas.

* ERMA is supposed to consider other alternatives. Conventional
onions, a major export of New Zealand, sell for 30 cents per pound,
wholesale. GE food always sells for at least 1/3rd less because of
the health risks, so the most we could sell GE onions for would be 20
cents per pound. New Zealand organic onions currently sell overseas
for $3 per pound and we can't keep up with demand. Go figure!

* ERMA is supposed to assess the legitimacy of an application. The
Round-Up Ready GE onions Crop and Food are developing for Semenis
through these trials are designed to reduce herbicide use. Yet,
overseas studies over the past six years show that Round-Up Ready GE
technology, when used in practice, results in 2 to 5 times MORE
herbicide use than conventional practices. ERMA knew this yet ignored
it. It defies all logic to accept, as ERMA has, that a technology
designed by a chemical company to enable it to sell more chemicals
will somehow miraculously reduce the use of chemicals.

* ERMA is supposed to review and assess scientific studies. Yet, ERMA
has ignored recent studies from France and Belgium, which I presented
to them, which show that all the major GE foods now produced in
America have mutated so far from the original approved GE
construction that they would no longer qualify for approval. In fact,
GE Bt Corn has mutated into a form that is so toxic it would be
illegal if it hadn't already been approved in it's original form The
reason for these mutations is that GE scientists still have no way of
controlling GE technology. Because it's an out of control technology
thousands of scientists around the world who are not funded by GE
chemical companies have joined organisations committed to keeping GE
out of the environment until it can be understood and controlled.
ERMA has ignored those.

* The only justification for ERMA's decision lies in the fact that
Helen Clark and team are committed to a free trade agreement with the
United States and the Bush administration have stated, categorically,
that they will not discuss free trade UNTIL we have opened out
markets to American GE food and GE technology companies. That's why
the moratorium was lifted, that's why the onion trials were approved,
and that's why the New Zealand government has decided to pay to cost
of all applications to ERMA for GE trials - so they can prove to Bush
that they're opening our market as he has instructed. The stink of
government involvement in this decision is the ruse of trying to
embargo the decision until journalists go on leave for the holidays,
a ruse they've used on every occasion when there's been an unpopular
GE announcement.

For more information, particularly the details of how this Onion
trial has been designed to AVOID the study of risks associated with
this type of GE technology, please contact:

Charles Drace, CFP
PO Box 3833
Christchurch
Bus. 03-364-9140
Priv. 03-365-6607
email: charles@cdrace.co.nz
phone no. from 25 Dec to 29 Dec. 03-304-7602