The arguments around Golden Rice - a product targeted at third-world countries - were not relevant to New Zealand, he said. The open letter prompted Act Party leader David Seymour to call on the Green Party to abandon its "outdated" position on GM. The Green Party's long-standing policy is for genetic modification to remain within laboratories and to stay out of food products. Green Party GM spokesman Steffan Browning said the party re-evaluated its GM policy regularly, but it would not be making any changes as a result of the open letter. The Green Party says it will not soften its anti-genetic modification stance despite a plea from some of the world's top scientists, who say opposition by green groups is blocking GM foods that could help reduce disease in third-world countries.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 04, 2016 16:52 UTC