South East Qld Environment Campaigners - http://www.hahaha.com.au/seqenv


It appears that a lot of $ is being spent by government and industry to sell
GMO foods.

Jen

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Cheryl Kemp [SMTP:bio@midcoast.com.au]
> Sent: Monday, 10 January 2000 10:21
> To: Welink; Betty Khoo; Sam Statham; Ian Reed; Helen Carrell
> Subject: Fw: Supermarket Action Alert/NSW Inquiry on GE Foods by
> 18/2/2000
>
> Wow, how is this for bias and treating the Australian taxpayer as a fool!
> Here is some work for you to do,
> Cheryl Kemp.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Phelps <geneethics@acfonline.org.au>
> To: geneethics@acfonline.org.au <geneethics@acfonline.org.au>
> Date: Sunday, 9 January 2000 8:07 pm
> Subject: Supermarket Action Alert/NSW Inquiry on GE Foods by 18/2/2000
>
>
> >
> >                           !! ACTION ALERT !!
> >               Counter Government Disinformation Campaign
> >
> >Supermarkets throughout Australia are set to begin distributing leaflets
> >from the federal government body, Biotechnology Australia, under an
> >agreement reached with the Australian Supermarket Institute in 1998.
> >
> >It is part of BA's 'public awareness' campaign which is costing
> Australian
> >taxpayers $2.2 million/year for two years.
> >
> >Coles says (in response to our letter below) that the leaflet prepared by
> >government and industry (we were not consulted) has now been endorsed by
> >CSIRO and ANZFA.
> >
> >Coles also says the leaflet is short on labelling information as the
> final
> >Ministerial decision is not due till March 2000, though it was changed to
> >accommodate some of their concerns.
> >
> >GeneEthics will do a leaflet, including a tearoff for supermarket
> managers.
> >Please let us know how many you can distribute in your area.
> Contributions
> >towards the cost will also be gratefully received.
> >
> >         *****  Please email or write the supermarkets below  *****
> >          *****  Use some of our comments or write your own  *****
> >     *****  If you find more contact details, please email to me  *****

COLES
        customer.relations@coles.com.au

FRANKLINS
        www.enq@franklins.com.au

No national email for Woolworths but use;
        qld_feedback@woolworths.com.au

The Chair of the Board
Davids Distribution Pty Ltd
PO Box 13
Laverton  3028

The Chair of the Board
Coles Myer Ltd
PO Box 480
Glen Iris  3146

The Chair of the Board
7 Eleven Stores Pty Ltd
Private Bag # 43
Mt Waverley  3149

The Chair of the Board
Safeway
522 Wellington St
Mulgrave  3170

The Chair of the Board
Franklins Ltd
62 Hume Hwy
Chullora  2190

===========================================================
December 20, 1999

Dear Chairperson,

I am writing to urge you not to distribute materials on gene technology
produced by Biotechnology Australia (BA) or the industry through your
supermarkets. If you decide to distribute the leaflet, we request that
you
also make available materials from the public interest sector, to balance
the information available to your customers.

Community groups were not consulted on the BA leaflet's content. However,
the text we saw was in our opinion unbalanced, misinforms the reader, and
assuages public anxiety instead of addressing well-founded concerns with
balanced information. Emerging evidence shows environmental damage,
public
health impacts, performance failure, lack of investor confidence, and
liability issues all arise from gene technology and its products.

In our opinion, the BA leaflet will undermine the already low credibility
of industry and government, and compound public mistrust of unfair
promotion and weak regulation. The impacts of allying your business with
unbalanced materials about a technology which has no history of safe use,
lacks public support and confidence, and provokes so many questions, may
prove to be unfavourable and endanger your chain's standing with the
public.

The recent BA public opinion survey by Yann Campbell Hoare Wheeler
reports:

"... while many people accepted genetic manipulation as a fact, they were
distrustful of both government and industry initiatives in this area and
would stop the use of the technology if they thought it was possible. ...

A public education campaign was recommended by all groups, which would
present both sides of the debate with equivalent strength. ... Many
participants ... expressed annoyance at the lack of labelling or openness
on this issue. This anger was compounded by the fact that currently
consumers were unable to choose not to purchase a genetically modified
product due to the lack of labelling."

Biotechnology Australia was set up with $10 million from the federal
budget, to promote public acceptance of gene technology. Substantial sums
have been given to the technology's proponents for materials and
meetings.

We were told that we cannot meet BA's guidelines or qualify for support,
despite twelve years of leading public debate on gene technology's
environmental, social and ethical aspects. From 1991 to 1996 we received
federal government funds to educate and advocate for precaution,
sustainability and strong regulation.

We entreat you to:
... make your stores a forum for the balanced discussion of gene
technology
and its products;
... support comprehensive, mandatory labelling of all foods produced
using gene technology; ... favourably consider our Five Year Freeze charter (attached) for
adoption by your company.

We would value the opportunity to discuss these matters further with you.

Yours sincerely,

Bob Phelps
Director

=======================================================================
> >
> >                        Legislative Council of NSW
> >                           Inquiry into GE food
> >
> >Submissions by Friday 18/2/2000 please.
> >
> >Contact details:
> >
> >Steven Carr
> >Director
> >Standing Committee on State Development
> >Legislative Council
> >Parliament House
> >Sydney, NSW 2000
> >
> >Tel: 02 9230 2641
> >Fax: 02 9230 2981
> >
> >Email: statedevelopment@parliament.nsw.gov.au
> >
> >Terms of reference:
> >
> >- the likely public and private benefits and costs of GE food to the
> >State of NSW
> >
> >- the impacts of GE food technology upon the agricultural and food
> >processing sectors
> >
> >- the identification of any possible adverse consequences to trade,
> >food safety and the environment from the introduction of GE food
> >technology.
> >
> >========================================================================
> >
> >                  Speakers needed in Western Australia
> >
> >                  Perth GeneEthics worker Emily Wallis
> >                  needs people willing to address groups
> >                  which want to be informed about GE.
> >
> >                  Please contact Emily on: 9245 2639
> >
> >
> >mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
> >
> >PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS IS: geneethics@acfonline.org.au
> >
> >mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
> >
> >NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
> >distributed without profit to those who expressed a prior interest in
> >receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
> >
> >                Please don't send unsolicited attachments.
> >
> >mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
> >
> >Bob Phelps
> >Director
> >Australian GeneEthics Network
> >PO Box 2424, Fitzroy MC 3065 Australia
> >Tel: (03) 9416.2222 Fax: (03) 9416.0767 {Int Code (613)}
> >email: geneethics@acfonline.org.au (Bob Phelps)
> >WWW: http://www.zero.com.au/agen
> >
> >"If it is left to me I would certainly not eat it (GE foods). We are
> >putting new things into food which would not have been eaten before.
> >The effects on the immune system are not easily predictable and I
> >challenge anyone who will say that the effects are predictable."
> >
> >                           Professor Arpad Pusztai
> >                           (fired for speaking out)
> >
> >"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a
> >revolutionary act."
> >                           George Orwell
> >
> >"Non-cooperation with injustice is a sacred duty."
> >
> >                           Mahatma Gandhi
> >
> >"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good people (men)
> >do nothing."
> >                           Edmund Burke
> >
> >"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint.
> >When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."
> >
> >                           Dom Helder Camera
> >
> >"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
> >change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
> >
> >                           Margaret Mead
> >
> >When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion.
> >
> >                           Ethiopian proverb
> >
> >
> >"Knowing is not enough, you must also act"
> >
> >mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
> >
> >
>
>
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