Hi everyone, this food bill has been bothering me – and when I received this email today I decided that I would share it with you. I would say that all of my newsletter recipients love having their gardens and would be shattered if what has happened overseas was allowed to happen here. I know you will all understand why I have decided to give all all the chance to attempt to have our say on this- how ironic that it is going through Parliament at the time of year when giving and our families are so important, Ginny

Apologies if repeated – but best the word gets out twice than never!

Fellow gardeners and concerned citizens,

This really is important to give 5 minutes of your time to. It is being said that if this goes ahead we may all have to pay the govt another $2500 just for the privilege of having a garden. It is expected that they will pass this law during these coming Xmas holidays when people normally are distracted with other activities. It’s absolutely insane and must be stopped! We dont want to lose the freedom of being able to grow our own veges! If this goes through we will not be able to reverse it. I see that there’s 14,500 signitures – let’s support it and try and get those 50,000. Please forward it on for the good of all kiwis!
Best Regards
Georgie

Hi
There is a piece of legislation going through NZ parliament at the
moment called the Food Bill. There is not much information in the
media because the media aren’t or can’t talk about it. It will be
snuck through faster than a greasy pig while we are on holidays in
January. We need action now to get 50,000 signatures – already nearly
13,000 have signed – not enough and we potentially have less than TWO
WEEKS.

Some parts of this bill involve change that is good. But some parts
are completely insane/horrendous and have the potential to compromise
your health in the future, because they reduce the ability for small
food producers produce and give away/sell seeds and food. And it
would be policed by Food Officers, not needing a warrant, not
government employees, & apparently having immunity from civil or
criminal prosecution! This is in the legislation!

And what is different about this legislation as it comes under an
international rule called ‘Codex’ or ”Codex Alimentarius’. If we go
along with Codex NZ then CAN’T CHANGE the legislation in future. This
is what is really apalling about this. It is not Common Law, it is
Napoleonic Code. It hasn’t happened before with food and is a quiet
part of Codex that most people don’t realise. We would actually have
to get out of the W.H.O. to change this legislation if we didn’t like
it – which is just not a thing governments do. We would be stuck.
So we need to take time on this legislation, not fast track it through
at Christmas time.

What’s really shocking about this is that these rules are developed to
say we need ‘food safety’. (Because we all know home grown veggies
are worse from us than mass produced stuff?!?) But what they really
mean is to get rid of little producers, little growers and keep the
growing of food in the hands of the big companies. Codex wasn’t
designed by governments and independent think tanks it was developed
by mega corporations – pharmacy, agribusiness, chemical. These laws
were NOT initially drafted by the NZ government, but by lawyers
employed by big international corporates.

We need to stop this legislation as parliament want to sneak it
through while people are on holidays in January (which is what they do
when legislation is controversial). At a later date it can then be
reviewed and amended.

Main problems with Food Bill 160-2 :
1. Home & small growers who grow small amounts of food and sell
locally NEED to be exempt – they are not.
2. Seeds for cultivation and food seedlings NEED TO NOT BE within
the definition ‘food’ under the Bill. (This is huge – imagine you not
being able to produce seed and give away!!). This sounds crazy but
seeds will be ‘explicitly controlled substances’ (like drugs) –
seriously. Why? Not sci-fi – in time whoever controls the food chain
protects their own interests. (This is so unbelievable that I believe
this is why we are not acting.)
3. Under the Food Bill, Police acting as Food Safety Officers can
raid premises without a warrant, using all equipment they deem
necessary –
including guns (Clause 265 -1) (What is the precedent for this? Why
is this necessary?)
4. Members of the private sector can also be Food Safety
Officers, as at Clause 243. Eg. Monsanto employees can raid premises –
including
marae – backed up by armed police. (This has never happened before
or needed to happen).
5. AND Food Safety Officers have immunity from criminal and civil
prosecution. What is the precedent for this?

Go here: http://www.petitiononline.co.nz/petition/oppose-the-new-zealand-government-food-bill-160-2/1301

These petitions are internationally recognised and your details are
safe – email addresses WILL NOT be passed on.

It has been under the radar as the media won’t talk about it.
Advertisers won’t let it in and anyone trying to write an opposing
view is lobbed off as ‘weird hippies’ or whatever. Professionals who
are deeply anxious about this legislation won’t/can’t write/talk about
it because their careers/integrity could be undermined. Quite
disturbing This needs attention and thought. You make up your own
mind.

Treat it like some conspiracy theory and don’t necessarily believe
what I say. Be cynical, look this up, research it, please be
informed.

Why didn’t I do anything earlier? Because I simply didn’t realise all
the implications. Because it is just so complex. And I couldn’t
believe it all.

But please – don’t sit on this like I did – act quickly.

cheers
Jodie Bruning
Tauranga

Please kindly forward this on.

http://nzfoodsecurity.org/
http://anh-europe.org/news/codex-misinformation-creates-public-confusion
http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2011-11-26/new-zealand-becomes-codex-alimentarius-incarnate-food-as-commodity-not-nourishment/
http://blog.greens.org.nz/2011/09/13/food-bill-update-from-sue-kedgley/
http://blog.greens.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Correspondence-Sue-Kedgley.pdf

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We are seeing home educators going back to the land more and more. After 40 to 50 years of processed food we are seeing the unhealthy lifestyle this produces and so realise we must change and go back to the foods our grandparents ate. The internet is a great source for finding out how to do things since many of our grandparents have now passed away with all their wonderful knowledge. Over the last few years I have been learning how to propogate seeds and now I am learning how to grow herbs and how to use them in cooking and for medicinal purposes. I am enjoying passing this information onto my children. There is so much to learn and pass on so that our future generations will be healthy. Here is a great website with wonderful information about healthy lifestyles. This page is focusing on food that are unhealthy for us. Let me quote a little from the page:

By Dr. Mercola

When deciding what’s healthy and what’s not, it pays to take note of what the actual experts are saying, as opposed to just listening to industry propaganda regurgitated by talking heads in the mass media and government health agencies.

Wake Up World has assembled a list of foods that are avoided by people who know the facts.

Here are a few examples:

Genetically engineered (GE) foods: Not only do genetically modified (GM) foods encourage the massive spraying of insecticides, but studies have shown that pesticide-producing genes in these foods transfer to your intestinal flora.

GM foods come with a staggering environmental, political, economic, and social cost.

Canned tomatoes: Food can lining contains bisphenol-A (BPA), a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to many illnesses.

The problem worsens when the cans contain acidic food such as tomatoes, which leach BPA into the food.

Corn-fed beef: Cattle evolved to eat grass rather than corn.

But modern cattle are fed so as to fatten them up faster, not to keep them healthy.

The result is beef that is much less nutritious.

Microwave popcorn: Chemicals that line the bag, such as PFOA, have been linked to infertility in humans and various forms of cancer in animal tests.

To see the rest of the list, please see the original article.

Here, I’ll focus on the issue of genetically engineered foods, as I believe that is one of the most pressing dangers facing us as a species.

Do read this link as there is a lot of good information in it plus a number of  YouTube clips. I’ll share just a bit more from this page here:

Since the U.S. government prevents the labeling of GM foods, it’s imperative to educate yourself on what they are, and to help spread awareness on how to avoid these foods.

First and foremost, avoid most processed foods, unless it’s labeled USDA 100% Organic.  You can also avoid GM foods that are not found in processed foods, if you know what to look for. There are currently eight genetically modified food crops on the market (plus GM alfalfa, which is used as an animal feed and will primarily affect animal products raised in confined animal feeding operations, aka ‘factory farms.’):

• Soy
• Corn
• Cottonseed (used in vegetable cooking oils)
• Canola (canola oil)
• Sugar from sugar beets
• Hawaiian papaya
• Some varieties of zucchini
• Crookneck squash

The free Non-GMO Shopping Guide is a great resource to help you determine which food brands and processed food products are GM-free. Print it out for yourself, and share it with everyone you know. If you feel more ambitious you can order the Non-GMO Shopping Tips brochure in bulk and bring them to the grocery stores in your area. Talk to the owner or manager and get permission to post them in their store.

I think this is a very important part of our home eductating – training our children in healthy lifestyles.

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