Corngate
Encyclopedia
"Corngate" was a political scandal
which took place in New Zealand
in 2002 and involved the suspected release of genetically modified corn
seed in 2000. The possibility of the presence of a small percentage of GE corn in a seed shipment from the U.S.
was raised publicly by Nicky Hager
in his book Seeds of Distrust. The percentage was found well after sowing to be above "allowable limits" of contamination - the allowable limit being zero as the question of the accidental presence of GE content or the unreliability of low level testing had not been considered. The results showing GE contamination were later seen as being a PCR artifact, likely being due to contamination of the samples rather than the corn.
It became politically important due to the New Zealand Green Party stance on GE
crops. The ruling Labour Party
policy regarding GE research was brought into the argument allowing Corngate to become an election issue as the book, Seeds of Distrust was released a few months prior to the 2002 Parliament
ary elections.
A select committee, including members of the Green Party, was formed to investigate the matter. Green Party statements claim the committee was "obstructed" by Syngenta
refusing to release test results. The final report, released in late 2004, was inconclusive due to a lack of clear evidence, poor reporting in the original incident and the deletion of raw data critical for a full re-evaluation. Scientific assessment highlighted a lack of rigor in the testing procedures at that time and noted failures the administration and interpretation of the results by the regulatory body, the Environmental Risk Management Authority
(ERMA).
The incident also highlighted the problems of testing for the presence of GMOs down to a regulatory level of zero when all available detection methods have a relatively high base threshold before results become unreliable.
The scandal was further intensified when news anchor John Campbell
interviewed NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark
about the issue. It ended with Clark labelling Campbell a "sanctimonious little creep" due to what she considered the ambush style of the interview.
Corngate is one of many scandals suffixed with "-gate", ultimately originating from the Watergate scandal
in U.S. politics.
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
which took place in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 2002 and involved the suspected release of genetically modified corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
seed in 2000. The possibility of the presence of a small percentage of GE corn in a seed shipment from the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was raised publicly by Nicky Hager
Nicky Hager
Nicky Hager is an author and investigative journalist born in Levin, New Zealand and now resides in Wellington. He generally writes about issues involving intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He has degrees in physics and philosophy...
in his book Seeds of Distrust. The percentage was found well after sowing to be above "allowable limits" of contamination - the allowable limit being zero as the question of the accidental presence of GE content or the unreliability of low level testing had not been considered. The results showing GE contamination were later seen as being a PCR artifact, likely being due to contamination of the samples rather than the corn.
It became politically important due to the New Zealand Green Party stance on GE
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
crops. The ruling Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
policy regarding GE research was brought into the argument allowing Corngate to become an election issue as the book, Seeds of Distrust was released a few months prior to the 2002 Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
ary elections.
A select committee, including members of the Green Party, was formed to investigate the matter. Green Party statements claim the committee was "obstructed" by Syngenta
Syngenta
Syngenta AG is a large global Swiss agribusiness company which notably markets seeds and pesticides. Syngenta is involved in biotechnology and genomic research. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in total sales in the commercial agricultural seeds market. Sales in 2010 were...
refusing to release test results. The final report, released in late 2004, was inconclusive due to a lack of clear evidence, poor reporting in the original incident and the deletion of raw data critical for a full re-evaluation. Scientific assessment highlighted a lack of rigor in the testing procedures at that time and noted failures the administration and interpretation of the results by the regulatory body, the Environmental Risk Management Authority
Environmental Risk Management Authority
The Environmental Risk Management Authority is a New Zealand government agency which controls the introduction of hazardous substances and new organisms....
(ERMA).
The incident also highlighted the problems of testing for the presence of GMOs down to a regulatory level of zero when all available detection methods have a relatively high base threshold before results become unreliable.
The scandal was further intensified when news anchor John Campbell
John Campbell (broadcaster)
John Campbell is the presenter of Campbell Live, a primetime 7.00pm current affairs programme on TV3 in New Zealand.-Early career:...
interviewed NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
about the issue. It ended with Clark labelling Campbell a "sanctimonious little creep" due to what she considered the ambush style of the interview.
Corngate is one of many scandals suffixed with "-gate", ultimately originating from the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
in U.S. politics.