MOST NEW ZEALANDERS ARE WORRIED ABOUT EATING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD -- OPINION POLL

AUCKLAND, New Zealand 20 April 1997

Green Groups launch poll on eve of Global Week of Action

Sixty percent of New Zealanders are worried about eating genetically engineered food, according to an AGB McNair opinion poll commissioned by Greenpeace, Soil and Health and Friends of the Earth.

The groups have called for an immediate moratorium on genetically engineered food, which can currently enter the New Zealand market without assessment or labelling.

The poll, released by the groups on the eve of a Global Week of Action against genetic engineering, showed that 43 percent of people were "worried a lot" and 17 percent of people were considerably worried about eating genetically engineered food. Only 12 percent of people "would not worry at all" about eating genetically engineered food.

Opinion polls in Europe also show consumer resistance to genetically engineered food. Between 53 percent (in the UK) and 78 percent (in Sweden) of people disagreed with the statement: "I personally would be happy to eat genetically modified food" (MORI, January 1997). An average 17 percent of Europeans said they agreed with the statement.

"Consumers have spoken," Stephanie Mills of Greenpeace said. "People do not want mutant food, and it is time the Government, the food regulators and the food industry listened to them.

She said the groups had commissioned the poll of 1000 New Zealanders from an independent market research company to ensure a robust statistical result. She criticised a HortResearch survey published last week, which she said had loaded questions to list the supposed benefits of genetic engineering, while ignoring the risks.

Genetically engineered soybeans, manipulated by Monsanto to be tolerant to their herbicide Roundup, may already have been imported from Australia into New Zealand. Soybeans are used in cakes, baby food and up to 60 percent of processed food. Monsanto has applied to increase the level of permitted residues of Roundup in soybeans in Australia and New Zealand as result of importing Roundup Ready soybeans.

Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Soil and Health and other groups such as the Safe Food Campaign and the Open Forum for Health have called for a moratorium on all imports and production of genetically engineered food. There are currently no regulations to assess or label genetically engineered food in New Zealand. Labelling regulations proposed by the Canberra-based Australia New Zealand Food Authority would result in many genetically engineered foods not being labelled.

The Global Week of Action follows a highly successful referendum in Austria last week, where 1.22 million Austrians called on their government to stop the release of genetically engineered organism into food and the environment. Activities will be taking place in at least 24 countries during the week April 20-27th, including pickets, press conferences, and street protests, in the United States, across Europe, Canada, India, Malaysia, Australia, Japan and Brazil.

In New Zealand, activities are planned by environment and food groups in both Auckland and Wellington. On Earth Day, Tuesday April 22nd, Auckland groups will stage a supermarket protest at midday. In Wellington, a similar protest is planned on Thursday.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephanie Mills at Greenpeace +025(0) 790 817 (09) 630 7331 (h)

or Glyn Walters on +02(0)) 931 363

Tricia Cheel, Soil and Health, +09(0) 480 4440 or

Wendy Johnson, Friends of the Earth +09(0) 303 4319

In Wellington, please contact Sue Kedgley +04(0) 384 9123

or Rachel McKay +04(0) 233 9148

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