WE NEED YOUR VOICE NOW! JOIN US IN OPPOSING THE GENE EDITING BILL

The Government is rushing through radical changes to New Zealand’s gene technology laws, putting farmers, growers, and exporters at risk of unfair costs, trade disruptions, and uncertainty. The Gene Technology Bill has passed its first reading and is now with the Health Select Committee.

It’s now time to have your say! Public submissions are open now and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 17, 2025.

Why it matters?
Submitting your views on the Gene Tech Bill is crucial as it directly impacts our environmental integrity, international trade and reputation, and consumer choice. We have set a goal of reaching 10,000 submissions. Join us to send a strong message to Parliament about the widespread opposition to this legislation.

The potential release of genetically edited crops could harm local ecosystems and increase contamination risks for organic and non-GE growers. Aotearoa New Zealand’s strong reputation for clean, GMO-free products could be jeopardised, threatening high-value exports and competitive advantages in global markets. Furthermore, reduced traceability may limit consumer options, making it harder for people to choose non-GE or organic products.

Raising your voice is vital to ensuring these significant concerns are addressed in the legislative process. Together, we can protect New Zealand’s GE-free future, one of the last bastions of truly clean, green agriculture.

What’s next?
We’re now hiring a legal team to review the bill and preparing submission templates (COMING SOON!) to empower our communities to take action. Stay tuned for more updates and our submission guide, which is coming soon.

JOIN US IN CALLING FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP THIS DAMAGING BILL BY MAKING A SUBMISSION TO THE SELECT COMMITTEE.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE GENE TECHNOLOGY BILL

It’s easy to submit! To help you prepare a submission, we are creating a submission template (COMING SOON) you can use with our key reasons for opposing the bill.

SUBMISSION DO’S AND DON’TS

  • Do get your Submission in by the deadline: Monday, 17 February 2025

  • Do make a submission via the website here. Fill in the contact information required, then EITHER upload your submission as a document, OR fill in the two fields of “comments” on the bill, and your “recommendations” to the select committee, then follow the prompts to finish the submission process.

  • You don’t have to include everything in the template below; pick what resonates most and include your own personal reflections–how will this bill impact you, your whānau, community or business.?  Your personal statements will have more power when making submissions. But all submissions opposing this Bill are important, so anything you can do is hugely helpful.

  • Your submission can be as long or as short as you want. Tell this Government what you value. And what you oppose. Please scroll down to view our template and the tools and resources section to help inform your views on the Gene Technology Bill.

  • Please note that your submission will be published on the New Zealand Parliament website.

    Thank you for helping build the kind of future we all want to be a part of. Defending our soil, our seeds and our rights.

Submission Template

COMING SOON….

SUBMISSION TOOLS + RESOURCES

Over the last few months, we have been busy building our resources to help us all fight against the Gene Technology Bill. Use this information to inform yourself and your networks and help you write a submission outlining why the Gene Tech Bill needs to be shredded.

Here’s what we’ve got for you:
Submission template - Coming soon!
20 Changes to the Bill to Save New Zealand - A carefully crafted document from our science team
Videos – Watch highlights from our presentation to the Primary Production Select Committee, the first reading of the Gene Tech Bill, and a webinar where we shared insights from our first delegation to Wellington.
GE FAQs – Got questions? We’ve got answers! Dive into our FAQs to learn more about what’s at stake.
NZIER Economic Report – Did you know deregulating GMO rules could put up to $20 billion of NZ exports at risk? Yep, it’s all in this report we commissioned.

We’ve set an ambitious goal to get 10,000 submissions opposing the Gene Tech Bill. Let’s make it happen! Take a moment to explore these resources, share them with your networks, and arm yourself with the facts. Then, spare a few minutes to write a submission and let everyone know why the Gene Tech Bill belongs in the shredder. Together, we can protect NZ’s future. Make your submission >