Posts by Steffan Browning

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  March Against Monsanto - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I will be hosting the Christchurch March Against Monsanto this Saturday, joined by genetics scientist Professor Jack Heinemann and author Christine Dann. There are events all over the country, all over the world in fact. Find your closest below and join us in this exciting global event to claim back control of our food system. [...] read more
  May 24, 2013 11:17 am - No Comments
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  David vs. Monsanto - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Monsanto’s busy lawyers Last Monday the US Supreme Court found in favour of Monsanto over yet another small farmer. Indiana soybean farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman bought some seeds from a grain company, where other farmers drop off their seed. He only wanted to sow cheap seed so bought what he called ‘junk grain’. It was [...] read more
  May 15, 2013 3:59 pm - 8 Comments
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  Precious kauri need committed action - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Kauri dieback disease (Phytopthorataxon Agathis or PTA) needs a solution but this Government isn’t providing it. The relentless killer of our iconic kauri is not waiting and the group tasked with tackling PTA, is lacking a $5 million government commitment to achieve a breakthrough. The famous giant kauri, Tāne Mahuta, and the kauri forests deserve [...] read more
  May 10, 2013 4:34 pm - 2 Comments
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  GE not our farming future - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The Government’s National Science Challenges include an arrogant intention to spend taxpayers’ money on swaying community opposition towards support for genetic engineering. While the jargon loaded Challenge documents are a struggle to read, the message by pro-GE scientists in the primary production section is clear. For the primary production challenge, first on the list under [...] read more
  May 2, 2013 4:36 pm - 54 Comments
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  We need to address bee health - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The European Commission has just announced exciting plans to restrict the use of bee harming pesticides across Europe. We need to get the health of bees on the agenda of our Government so that we can protect these vital little insects. I wrote to the Chair of the Primary Production Select Committee yesterday to get [...] read more
  May 2, 2013 3:58 pm - 9 Comments
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  Toxic agenda bad for farmers - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I recently had an opinion piece published in the Straight Furrow newspaper. Here is what I wrote. (note: corrected from earlier post) Toxic agenda erodes green brand Our clean green brand is something we need to fiercely protect, but this Government is effectively eroding it instead. National has gutted the Emissions Trading Scheme and is [...] read more
  April 26, 2013 2:23 pm - 2 Comments
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  Fonterra’s organic flip flop - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Fonterra has just announced that it is renewing organic milk supply contracts in Manawatu, Taranaki, and Wairarapa for two years and three years for Waikato and Bay of Plenty farmers, but dropping Northland contracts as they come up for renewal. Manawatu, Taranaki and Wairarapa farmers had been told in 2011 that their contracts were not [...] read more
  April 16, 2013 10:13 am - 11 Comments
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  PGG Wrightson must stop its GE experiment. - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  PGG Wrightson is controlling shareholder Agria’s push to have the two companies’ seed divisions merge into an international seed company rivalling controversial genetic engineering giant Monsanto.  It’s a disturbing development for New Zealand’s future. Neither genetic engineering (GE) or Monsanto have anything to offer New Zealand’s reputation as a provider of the safe, nutritious, sustainably [...] read more
  April 9, 2013 10:32 am - 34 Comments
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  Environmental certification for New Zealand King Salmon is farcical - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  New Zealand King Salmon (NZKS) recently withdrew sponsorship support for the Tui Nature Reserve Wildlife Trust after the Trust opposed NZKS’ plans for new salmon farms in the Pelorus Sounds. This punishment contributes to doubt about the merits of NZKS’s recently gained Global Aquaculture Alliance certification. NZ King Salmon’s withdrawal of support for the Tui [...] read more
  April 5, 2013 2:51 pm - 1 Comment
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  Selling New Zealand’s brand and profits - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  New Zealand is headed towards having our farming families becoming peasants in their own land by allowing further and unnecessary foreign investment into processing of New Zealand dairy production. The ticking off of two new foreign dairy processors into New Zealand production by the Overseas Investment Office is a huge opportunity cost to New Zealand’s [...] read more
  April 4, 2013 9:55 am - 13 Comments
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  Top spy job appointment needs transparency - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Lack of oversight of New Zealand’s external spy agency the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), makes it even more important that there’s transparency around the appointment of its head. John Key encouraged family friend and school mate Ian Fletcher, who he had kept contact with in recent years, to apply for the chief spy position. [...] read more
  April 3, 2013 12:37 pm - 101 Comments
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  Government must lead on climate - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I have just had an opinion piece printed in Farmers Weekly. Here is what I wrote: As the list of regions being declared drought areas grows it’s distressing to see land and animals suffering from the lack of water. This summer’s drought has cost the country $1 billion and counting and might even take us [...] read more
  April 2, 2013 8:57 am - 113 Comments
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  We must stop gambling with food standards - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I keep being astounded by our food safety regulator’s lax attitude to genetically engineered food. This new report shows that once again they are making assumptions that GE food is safe without requiring any real evidence. I want to see an urgent reassessment of how genetically engineered (GE) foods are evaluated for food safety in [...] read more
  March 27, 2013 1:33 pm - 7 Comments
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  Good, green, growing organics - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Yesterday I co-hosted, with Labour Party MP Damien O’Connor, the launch of New Zealand’s 2012 Organic Market Report. Organic production is very dear to my heart, having been an organic producer for 16 years. But aside from knowing the realities of the day to day work of being an organic producer, I also know that [...] read more
  March 7, 2013 4:35 pm - 3 Comments
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  Setting our sights on organic - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Bhutan has set the brilliant target of becoming a 100 percent organic in their food production. Although their target is higher than ours, Green Party policy is to set targets for organic production in New Zealand and we will be continuing to push for this. New Zealand has great examples of successful organic production across [...] read more
  February 13, 2013 11:49 am - 5 Comments
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  Looking up for bees? - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Protection for bees is one step closer after a proposal was brought to the European Commission to suspend the use of bee-harming chemicals on certain crops. Beekeepers in New Zealand are really concerned about the loss of bees here, as are the big food growers including Federated Farmers because of the impact that the loss [...] read more
  February 1, 2013 3:15 pm - 3 Comments
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  Organics the future of agriculture - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The Worldwatch Institute has just released their report into organic land use and found that between 1999 and 2010 the amount of land farmed organically grew more than threefold. The growing worldwide demand for organic food, clothing, and other products is leading to this change in land use. They do note, however, that the area [...] read more
  January 25, 2013 3:23 pm - 16 Comments
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  Strict GE monitoring a must - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  AgResearch sacked a senior scientist, Dr Kardailsky, last year for allowing genetically engineered (GE/GM) ryegrass to flower without the use of the controls put in the trial, such as putting bags over any flowers to stop GE pollen spreading. Dr Kardailsky filed for unjustified dismissal as he questioned whether the plants were actually flowering and [...] read more
  January 24, 2013 5:23 pm - 15 Comments
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  Slippery fishing boats and decisions for the Antarctic - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  There was an early sailing today for Antarctica’s Ross Sea from Port Nelson by the Talleys-Sealord toothfishing boat Janus, to avoid protest action. This reflects the slippage of New Zealand in making a strong stance in the recent Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources CCAMLR negotiations. The Russian registered Antarctic Chieftan left at 1.30 am [...] read more
  November 20, 2012 2:30 pm - No Comments
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  Parliamentary GE free movement growing - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The GE-free movement in Parliament seems to be growing. I was very happy to read the comments of Labour’s Damien O’Connor in November’s NZ Dairy Exporter. I was interviewed by the magazine about the GE milk in New Zealand, I emphasised our position that we need to protect our clean green image and our $10 [...] read more
  November 14, 2012 3:25 pm - 1 Comment
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  Irradiated tomatoes? No thanks. - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Our supermarkets could soon be stocking irradiated vegetables coming from Queensland. The Queensland Government has applied to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to irradiate tomatoes and capsicums, as a biosecurity control. Australian tomatoes and capsicum are imported into New Zealand, as the vegetables are staple fare for many, regardless of the season. Irradiation is [...] read more
  November 6, 2012 10:36 am - 75 Comments
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  The good life neighbours - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Holly Walker’s press release this week outlined why urban sprawl doesn’t solve our housing crisis and doesn’t work for people looking for affordable housing. It also doesn’t work for our farming communities. As this article outlines, with residential dwellings stretching ever outward into food producing areas we see farming practices coming into conflict with their [...] read more
  October 30, 2012 11:18 am - 4 Comments
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  Kaikoura showing us the way forward - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  World Heritage status for Kaikōura from mountain tops to the canyon floor. A marine mammal sanctuary, a marine reserve over the Kaikōura Canyon and local fishing rules. These are some of the exciting proposals in the Kaikōura Marine Strategy launched last Saturday for the management of Te Tai o Marokura – the Kaikōura marine environment. [...] read more
  October 30, 2012 10:39 am - No Comments
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  Fed Up with FSANZ - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Tuesday was World Food Day, a day set to acknowledge the founding of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and issues such as food security. In Australia and New Zealand the day was justifiably used to point out the slack approach to food safety by our trans-Tasman food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand [...] read more
  October 18, 2012 12:39 pm - 4 Comments
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  What are we feeding our cows? - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The Straight Furrow is reporting today that Cargill are marketing cotton seed meal from Australia as a good feed for our dairy herds. We have real concerns that this cotton seed is genetically engineered. Feeding GE to our dairy herds, along with the environmentally damaging palm kernel, is a real risk to our 100% pure [...] read more
  October 9, 2012 11:43 am - 29 Comments
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  GE – ‘palpable tumours’ and ‘monster weeds’ - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I wish these words were exaggeration, but they’re not. Both are terms used in reports I have read this morning. There’s new evidence just released that Roundup Ready corn causes the growth of tumours and death in a long term feeding study. On top of that there is this report that because of the use [...] read more
  September 20, 2012 1:01 pm - 9 Comments
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  Working to keep NZ GE free - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  It’s been a busy few months fighting genetic engineering in New Zealand. Firstly I have been negotiating with the Minister for Food Safety to try and get GE put back into the Food Bill. I then spent a couple of weeks travelling around New Zealand with two Australian farmers talking to communities about the Australian [...] read more
  September 18, 2012 11:12 am - 3 Comments
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  Vacuuming the ocean - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  New Zealand must urgently follow the Australian Government’s decision to introduce law banning super trawlers operating in their fishery. The 142m super trawler Abel Tasman, licensed to take 18,000 tonnes of mackerel and bait fish using 600-meter nets, is capable of wiping out entire localised fish populations, which puts fish stock genetic diversity at risk [...] read more
  September 12, 2012 4:55 pm - 3 Comments
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  Kaikoura marine management - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The announcement yesterday of an extension for two more years of the rahui over Kaikoura’s Wakatu Quay marine area is a positive move towards long term sustainable management of Kaikoura’s coastal marine area, and more of New Zealand’s coast becoming marine reserves. Rahui and marine reserves assist recovery of depleted fisheries and contribute to education, [...] read more
  August 16, 2012 1:29 pm - No Comments
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  Crafar farms decision disappointing - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The decision by the Court of Appeal regarding the Crafar farms is disappointing. The Court of Appeal has concluded that Shanghai Pengxin has sufficient business experience and acumen to run the farming business. In reality New Zealand state owned enterprise Landcorp will be running the Crafar farms on behalf of Shanghai Pengxin. Prime Minister John [...] read more
  August 9, 2012 1:23 pm - 47 Comments
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  GE not the answer to farming’s problems - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I was interested to hear Landcorp Chief Executive Chris Kelly’s thoughts on National Radio last week about how they get the best out of their farms. The genetic gains that have been made (without genetic engineering I might add) in breeding means that production rates keep improving. He very clearly said that “farmers will find [...] read more
  August 8, 2012 11:05 am - 3 Comments
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  Making the most of GE Free NZ – Tour - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  I am bringing over two Australian farmers with first-hand experience of Genetically Engineered (GE) crops in their communities to tour New Zealand, share their stories and warn New Zealand farmers about the risks of GE crops. The last Green Party GE tour was in 1999, during the time of the Royal Commission into Genetic Engineering. [...] read more
  July 27, 2012 2:02 pm - 5 Comments
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  Fonterra sellout - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Yesterday afternoon was darkened by the passing of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment (DIRA) Bill. The Greens have a vision of a government that cares for family farmers. That sort of government would not have pushed the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill through Parliament. Below are some of my thoughts on why the Bill is [...] read more
  July 25, 2012 11:44 am - 6 Comments
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  GE research innovation. - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  U.S consumers are getting the chance to comment on a new GE crop. And what is this exciting new crop that will feed the starving poor and revolutionise horticulture? Just what we’ve always wanted: it’s an apple that doesn’t go brown when you cut it in half. read more
  July 19, 2012 7:00 am - 8 Comments
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  Fishy figures from fisheries - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The Ministry of Primary Industries and our commercial fishing industry, which is largely reliant on the honesty of its fishers, are known for gilding the lily when it comes to sustainability of fisheries. The commentary we are seeing around the latest UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) report on the State of the World’s Fisheries and Aquaculture [...] read more
  July 13, 2012 3:29 pm - 2 Comments
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  Day in court for organics - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Organic farmers are hitting back at biotech by taking to the courts. In Western Australia, organic farmer Steve Marsh has taken his neighbouring farmer to court for contaminating of Steve’s crops with GE canola, leading him to lose his organic certification. The Pastoralists and Graziers Association said about the case that the organic certifiers are [...] read more
  July 10, 2012 2:46 pm - 2 Comments
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  Room to breathe for pork producers - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  Last week the High Court made a decision to put a hold on the importing of potentially infected pig meat. This is such a relief for pig farmers. The Judge ruled in favour of NZ Pork to put in place a halt on the importation of raw pig meat until the Court of Appeal hearing [...] read more
  July 4, 2012 12:30 pm - 2 Comments
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  GE in the Food Bill - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The Food Bill is before Parliament at the moment and is intended to be an update and improvement of food safety legislation from the 20 year old Food Act 1981. There has been significant interest in the Bill, and I have been going around the country talking to lots of you about it. The draft [...] read more
  June 29, 2012 10:31 am - 4 Comments
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  Dairy Bill not good enough - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  The Primary Production Committee’s report on the Dairy Industry Restructuring Bill has just been released. We worked with Labour on a minority report to express our concerns but I also wrote a minority report on some of the Greens additional concerns. The first of these is that the Bill misses the opportunity to green up [...] read more
  June 7, 2012 5:36 pm - No Comments
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  Foreign Charter Vessels - by Steffan Browning

  
  
  
  It’s been a busy week. Before we get to comment about the Budget this afternoon I thought I would comment on the wonderful news regarding foreign charter vessels. It is great the government is phasing out FCVs and requiring them to be reflagged to New Zealand. Four years cannot come soon enough for workers suffering [...] read more
  May 24, 2012 10:03 am - 1 Comment