Full disclosure labelling will allow consumers to choose what they eat. It will also help scientists trace the source of health problems arising from these foods. Global trends pose both threats and new opportunities for New Zealand's agriculture The introduction of genetically engineered foods amounts to a dangerous global experiment by giant transnational biotechnology companies who control large segments of the world's food supply, including food patents, seed companies and other aspects of the food chain. Now they have started to grow these foods in New Zealand. Previously, New Zealand has had a reputation overseas for producing quality food.
Surveys show consumers prefer natural foods.
In response to consumer pressure during 1996, massive new overseas markets began to open up for countries who could demonstrate that their produce was free of genetic engineering. Therefore we should keep New Zealand free of genetically engineered foods to protect our own natural environment and maintain a commercial agricultural export advantage over our larger competitors who are recklessly introducing genetically altered foods without due regard for long term consequences or the preferences of consumers. They are hoping for short term commercial gain without regard for the health and safety of the world's population. This may cause many unanticipated, irreversible problems leading to food shortages and large-scale health threats. In practice, almost all of the genetically engineered crops and organisms introduced overseas recently have failed to realise predicted yields or show a profit.