NZ: Environmental watchdogs cry foul over tearless onion Tearless ...

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NZ: Environmental watchdogs cry foul over tearless onion

Tearless onions are at the centre of the latest battle over geneticmodification, as opponents try to stop an engineered vegetabletrial going ahead. A hearing was held in Christchurch yesterday,amid heavy security, to consider a bid by Crop and Food Research tocarry out a 10-year, 2.5ha field trial of genetically modifiedonions, shallots, leek and garlic.

The vegetables have been altered to improve the likes of flavour,health benefits and pest resistance - and in the case of one lineof onions promoted by Crop and Food, a variety that does not causea person to cry while cutting into it. Other GM trials nearChristchurch have been the subject of sabotage in the past, andopponents say this latest proposal poses too much risk to theenvironment and New Zealand's reputation.

"There are few public benefits, with risks distributed unfairly,"said lobby group, GE Free New Zealand. "The risks of creepingdamage to New Zealand's clean, green natural reputation in food arereal." While the cost of any environmental damage would fall on thepublic, "the limited value of the research largely benefits a smallgroup of investor-scientists."

But Crop and Food said the trial promised major benefits in foodproduction and would keep New Zealand up with the world on science.A fifth of the world's crop market was now developed throughgenetic modification, said Dr Colin Eady. While some GM work couldbe done in the laboratory or glasshouse, it was important to alsotest the crops out in the open, such as in the field trialproposed.

Federated Farmers raised concerns about the spread of pollen fromthe flowering GM vegetables to other plants and wildlife, but DrEady said the vegetables would be contained in mesh cages to stopeven insects getting in.

The risk of cross-pollination by wind was "highly improbable". Atleast five police officers and five private security guards werestationed at the hearing yesterday.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority, which ran the hearing,said it had asked police to be there because of past incidents,such as whistle-blowing protesters interrupting a hearing lastyear. The committee will make its decision on whether to allow thetrial within 30 working days.


Source: nzherald.co.nz


Publication date: 8/13/2008