MIL OSI – Source: Green Party –
Headline: Organics cut step backwards for NZ agriculture
Organic and GE free food has been identified as preferences for our best value export markets. We need to ensure our agricultural centres of learning are supporting the push to add value to our exports.
The Green Party is concerned about the cutting of New Zealand’s only university level organics course by Lincoln University.
Lincoln University, as part of its restructuring, has cut a Senior Lecture position and course options for students in Agro-ecology, often recognised as organics, even though the concurrent papers in Biological Science and Ecology were acknowledged as important for primary industries and fitting well with the University’s strategic aim, ‘Feed the World, Protect the Future, Live Well’.
“We need more support for research and teaching of sustainable farming practices to protect our 100% pure brand,” Green Party agriculture spokesperson Steffan Browning said today.
“The Government needs to fund our tertiary sector properly so that Lincoln is not forced to cut courses and research vital for our primary sector.
“Lincoln University is chronically under-funded and there are cuts to basic operational funding which has in part led to this situation.
“Organic and GE free food has been identified as preferences for our best value export markets. We need to ensure our agricultural centres of learning are supporting the push to add value to our exports.
“Organic systems based on sound agro-ecological practices are proven to produce healthier food, lessen nutrient leaching, increase biodiversity, improve soil biology and conservation, improve animal welfare outcomes and support climate change resilience.
“Lincoln’s research partner AgResearch is using 25 percent of its forage budget and 10 percent of its livestock budget on genetic engineering (GE) and the loss of high level Agro-ecology education shows an unacceptable move by key players away from building a genuinely sustainable future for primary production in Aotearoa New Zealand,” said Mr Browning.
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