GMOs "down under"

Organiser(s):  Maggie Lilith, Conservation Council of Western Australia, Australia and Claire Bleakley, GE Free New Zealand

Speakers:
Maggie Lilith,  The GMO Situation in Australia
Adam Breasley, Gen-ethic Network, Australia
Claire Bleakley,  GE Free New Zealand
Donna Takitimu, Te Runanga o te Whanau (Tribal authority for Te Whanau a Apanui), New Zealand

Outline:
Australia:
• Why Australia should join the Biosafety Protocol
• Problem of unregulated financial flows, corporate control and growing violence
• Universal responsibility including of scientists and politicians (Buddhist story on ecological-ethical relationships)
• Growing need for ethical and ecological education & life skills for young people
• The hi tech counterfeit economy
• 10 Minute video interview with Prime Minister of Central Tibetan Administration, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, on - why the Administration is converting all their agricultural projects to organics.

• Office of Gene Technology Regulators’ (OGTR) role
• why Australia should be GM free
• State moratorium: Vic (lifting – uncontrolled), NSW (lifting – limited control), SA, WA
• Implications for trade – premiums in non GM states?
• Implications for border control - ie SA and Victoria etc.
• Implication for organic sector & cost implications for non-GM grain farmers
• Implications for food supply - ie no labelling of oils.
• Impacts on biodiversity & environment overall and in States
• What we are doing in our campaigns

New Zealand:
• Why NZ should be GE Free – Organic by 2020
• NZ fight to stay clean and green
• Overseas Private partnerships with CRI's in GMO development in NZ.
• Pharming of animals,
• Failure of PPL sheep
• GE trees
• GM RR onions and Bt Brassica
• How to unite all from here

Apanui World view:
• Te Whanau a Apanui relationships with environment
• Indigenous Apanui values
• Rongoa, medicinal lore, examples of healing plants
• Seasonal harvesting of fruits, birds, fish etc
• Agricultural traditions, crops that were brought on sailing vessels of our ancestors
• Heritage and heirloom seed and fruit tree preservation
• Koanga Institute relationship with tribe
• Bioprospecting, NZ Govts consultation rounds
• Threats to our tribal estate with regards to biodiversity, eg pest plants, animals, dominance of other language and culture on our traditions, Threats of greenhouse gas trading emissions schemes on biodiversity
• Seabed and Foreshore negotiations.