Imported Corn Seed Report
Questions and Answers
1. What is this report about and why was it commissioned?
This report details the findings of an inquiry conducted by David Oughton into the circumstances that led to the recent importation of sweet corn seed containing traces of genetically modified (GM) material. The Director General of MAF commissioned the investigation to ensure that MAF’s border inspectors are effectively supported in their work with robust systems, training and support.
2. How did this error occur?
The inquiry found that there was an error of judgement on the part of the inspecting officer that was compounded by a lack of appropriate peer review, leaving open the risk that such an error could remain undetected until after the seed had been released.
The report identifies no deficiency in the Import Health Standard and the protocols supporting it.
3. What is MAF doing about it?
The staff member concerned has been reassigned to other inspection responsibilities. Further training and support is being provided to Quarantine staff in this area by relevant technical experts.
MAF is implementing the recommendations contained in the Oughton report. A number of projects underway will bring improvements to inspection process, procedures and data capture:
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integration of Biosecurity New Zealand and MAF Quarantine Service;
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a MAF Quarantine Service organisational development project ;
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development of an IT strategy;
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work on compliance and communications strategies and integrating them into MAF’s regulatory work.
4. Are there any imports of corn seed currently happening?
No. It is not the season for the importation of corn seed. However, other seed consignments are currently arriving at the border and being checked using the newly implemented measures.
5. What confidence do you have that these mistakes are not happening every day?
Immediate measures were put in place when the incorrect clearance was first detected last year. These measures, including peer review and enhanced technical support from Biosecurity New Zealand, give us confidence that we are on top of these risks.
6. Why does New Zealand import corn seed?
For maize and many vegetable crops, New Zealand cannot produce seeds that match the quality and value of imported seeds from the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Many of these countries also grow GM crops.
New Zealand farmers believe, to be internationally competitive, it is essential that they have access to imported seeds.
7. Is a low level of GM presence inevitable in New Zealand?
With more and more GM crops being grown and traded around the world, there will be more opportunities for GM seeds to be present in seed supplies. On the other hand, the systems to separate GM and non-GM crops are continuing to improve, driven both by commercial pressures and demands from governments for assurances.
It is very likely that there will continue to be incidents like this one, where unapproved GM seeds are present unintentionally at concentrations near or below the limit of detection. However, with appropriate actions and ongoing assurance systems, it should be possible to keep these incidents to a minimum.
8. What measures will be put in place to reduce the likelihood of this situation happening again?
Important measures, recommended in the Oughton report, have already been put in place. These include peer review of positive test results and the forwarding of test documentation to Biosecurity New Zealand when the GM status of seed importation is uncertain.
9. What is the regulatory framework for Genetically Modified (GM) materialorganisms?
The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996 prohibits any new organism, including a GM organism, from being imported, developed or released in New Zealand unless the organism has been approved by the Environmental Risk Management Authority.
This prohibition is complemented by the Biosecurity Act 1993, which prevents a border inspector from giving biosecurity clearance for imported “risk goods” (such as a consignment of seed for sowing) if an unapproved new organism is known to be, or detected, in or on the goods.
MAF implements and enforces the Biosecurity Act, and enforces the provisions on new organisms in the HSNO Act. MAF requires certain imported seed consignments to be tested for the presence of unapproved GM seeds under a specified seed testing protocol.
10. How strict is your testing approach?
The MAF protocol for testing imported maize and sweet corn seed for GM presence is one of the strictest in the world. The protocol gives a high level of confidence (95 percent) that the inadvertent presence of one GM seed in 1000 seeds will be detected. In order to achieve this level of confidence, a sample drawn from each seed line for testing must contain at least 3200 seeds. MAF accredits offshore laboratories to test seed samples according to the method in the import protocol.
Although the testing protocol gives a high level of confidence that seed consignments are free of GM contamination, there will always be a small possibility that very low numbers of GM seeds may be inadvertently imported.
11. What did MAF do when it discovered the possible contamination?
MAF initiated an immediate response.
Once we had confirmed positive GM results for seed lines planted in the Gisborne and Hawkes Bay regions, it was decided to destroy these crops. All crops have now been mechanically destroyed (by power harrowing) and some have also been treated with herbicide to ensure 100% crop destruction.
12. What was the “contamination”?
The GM gene construct in the affected seed consignment has been confirmed as “Round Up ReadyTM”. The level of GM material in this consignment was at very low levels.
13. Who is David Oughton?
David Oughton is a former Secretary of Justice.
Contact for Enquiries
MAF Information Services
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526
Wellington, NEW ZEALAND
Fax: +64 4 894 0721
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