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Shortly after my husband and I got engaged, the large, global company we both worked for at the time assigned him to a long term consulting project in Wellington, New Zealand.
Our phone conversations and his handwritten letters (no email then!) were filled with amazement and praise about the plethora of small local farms where he was able to obtain fresh, delicious food for very reasonable cost pretty much anywhere at any time.
He loved to tell me stories about where exactly he had obtained his food and the farmers and small local businesses where he had procured a recent meal.
My husband has always been into local food, long before I got the bug. His mother was actually an early pioneer of locally produced food co-ops in none other than Uganda, where he was born and spent the first few years of his life before the entire family was forced to flee for their lives when their friends started mysteriously disappearing after Idi Amin, the infamous and bloodthirsty dictator, rose to power in the early 1970’s.
My husband’s year spent in Wellington left him with fond memories of this country’s small farm bounty which is some of the most varied in the world. Could it be that New Zealand’s golden reputation as a haven for local food and farms offering fresh, quality food is coming to an end?
The WorldWide Power Grab for Control of the Food Supply
A new 400 page, “food safety” bill introduced by the New Zealand Parliament in May 2010 has been stealthily making its way through the approval process and may become the law of the land in the near future. The bill is crafted to be in line with obligations to the World Trade Organization with regard to the international scam Codex Alimenatrius, also known as the “Food Book”.
This bill would seriously undermine efforts of families to be self sufficient by growing their own food. Shockingly, under the language of the bill, growing one’s own food is considered a privilege that can be revoked by the government at any time with non-Codex complying producers the most vulnerable to enforcement action.
Those “registering” to grow food (can you imagine such a thing?) would not be able to receive authorization if they do not comply with food production rules as outlined by Codex.
Distributing food – even for free – is not permitted and the definition of “food” is extremely broad encompassing nutrients, seeds, natural medicines, essential minerals, and even water!
By controlling even seeds, the power to grow food is handed to global seed companies like Monsanto. Seed sharing banks and networks could be shut down if they are not able to obtain government authorization. This would frighteningly and very quickly result in a loss of seed variety and be of clear financial benefit to the global seed companies.
Home-grown food and some or all seeds could not be bartered on a scale to feed people of a community even in the event of economic collapse where commercially grown food has become unavailable or unaffordable.
Let me repeat that: This bill would force people to starve in the face of economic hardship rather than grow their own food to survive.
What does this sound like to you? To me, it sound eerily like the former Soviet Union with its complete and utter control of the economic factors of production which disallowed peasants from producing food for anyone except the State.
Police to Act as “Food Safety” Officers
Under this NZ Bill, local police can act as Food Safety Officers, raiding a home or business without a warrant using all necessary equipment such as firearms.
Even worse, members of the private sector, such as Monsanto employees, can act as Food Safety Officers and raid a targeted location without a warrant backed up by armed police.
The bill goes even further by providing these “Food Safety Officers” immunity from criminal and civil prosecution!
The language of this bill allows the creation of no less than a Food Gestapo which terrorizes the citizenry with warrantless searches, seizures, and arrests with no accountability or repercussions for their actions in a court of law.
Control of the Seeds the Ultimate Goal
The ultimate bottom line of this bill is control of the seeds in New Zealand which boasts an extremely wide variety due to the bounty of its small, local farms.
If the seeds are controlled, growing food is automatically controlled so enforcement of people growing their own food becomes basically a non-issue.
No good seeds = No good food
What Can Be Done to Stop This?
Unfortunately, this problem is not just occurring in New Zealand. It’s happening all over the world.
New Zealanders, however, have a secret weapon in their back pocket with which to fight these global food terrorists who are pushing their self serving corporate agenda in their beautiful and bountiful homeland.
New Zealand citizens can individually or in larger groups, opt out from under this legislation by revoking their consent to parliamentary representation.
To do this requires them to serve a Claim of Right which will revoke any requirement to adhere to the legislation since they are no longer represented by it.
Citizens and communities opting out of the legislation simply serve copies of their Claim of Right to affected governmental agencies thereby notifying them of their lack of jurisdiction on their private affairs. The Claim must be filed via a Notary Public.
In the meantime, it would be wise for activist-minded New Zealanders to notify their elected officials of their outrage over this treasonous bill to ensure its defeat. It would no doubt be best to never have to get to the point where a Claim of Right is necessary!
Oh, and it might be a good idea to save a few seeds in a secure location as well!
No one is laughing at the Norwegians now ( for storing seeds in a doomsday bunker )
Yes, I remember thinking this was ridiculous only a few short years ago! They saw this coming much better than we have, for sure!
It is a God-given right for us to work and be able to produce food for ourselves and our families. Revolution, indeed!
Local Food Haven to Ban Growing Food Without Authorization – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/wdbr0Ovt
Jodie, make a noise, a very loud deafening noise about this.
We need to start making noise right here in the good ol’ USA because our rights are eroding faster than you can say this is a bunch of bull. Actually, as one poster already said, it’s a bit late because between the global warming scam and the control of our food supply, well – yeah, it’s a bit late to take action.
Now the police have been militarized and can come into our homes without permission or even provacation. And the pharma companies et al have to stand no liability for anything they do wrong against the human race.
Too much pork tacked onto too many past congressional bills. The pork is the part WE don’t know about until it’s too late to do anything about it. IOW, our government tricks us into thinking our votes and our calls to congressional representatives actually help.
You bet! This is why we need Ron Paul for president; he is currently the ONLY one in Washington who even CARES about our food freedom. Ron Paul 2012! 😀
It looks like governments everywhere have lost their collective minds, probably from the crap food they are eating. And yes, we know money talks. They are determined to send us all to h-ll in a handbasket when they have destroyed this earth and everything in it all for profit.
I am a New Zealander and am aware of this Bill, though it has been kept very quiet by officials and I don’t think many people are aware of what this could mean for us. Emma of Craving Fresh blog has rallied people to send submissions to the Government. Hopefully that will have some impact.
I suggest you print out copies of Sarah’s blog post and pass them around to everyone you can. Put them on public bulletin boards in libraries, coffee shops, etc. Send it to some local newspapers.
Activism stars with the individual!
This is very concerning to me as we have family in New Zealand! You folks absolutely can put a stop to this by organizing and letting your elected representatives know what the fine print means.
Reading this freaks me out! RT @TaraFirmaFarms: Boo to New Zealand!! : ( Can’t grow food w/o "authorization"? http://t.co/8dT8SIVN
I mean, they’re already SELLING WATER, for heaven’s sake…like THAT’S normal….
I have ALWAYS thought that, Shelly! Next, they’ll be taxing sunshine…
Unbelieveable. Like you need permission to attend to your basic needs in life? How about breathing? I suppose they’ll want to monitor that next….
actually shelly, yes…. this will all be tied to the carbon taxing system..you purchace carbon credits based on how much carbon you produce.. it doesnt stop a carbon footprint at all, it just charges you to leave one.. the more purchaces you make, the more of a footprint you can leave.. being taxed to be alive.. this is why the global warming agenda is being pushed so hard.. it is getting the ball rolling towards this global carbon tax..
-jason and lisa-
Unfortunately, through the subtlety of case law we are seeing this now. The recent judges order that we do not have the right to consume and produce our own food is telling us that this is already here and moving through the back door channels. Perhaps it is time for us to Occupy our Garden plots. and make a united noise.