The history of GE in New Zealand

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Bonnie Flaws investigates New Zealand’s ongoing debate on the regulation of genetic modification

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The question of whether we should allow genetic engineering in New Zealand has been raging for almost as long as the technology has been around – since the 1970s. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the sentiment among the public was decidedly anti-GMO, with protest a regular feature of the political landscape, including famous hīkoi that travelled from Northland to Wellington. Now the topic is in the headlines again after the Productivity Commission recommended in its 2021 report that New Zealand’s strict laws regulating genetic engineering ought to be reviewed, in part because the techniques used have evolved.

GM, GMO, GE, GEd – what exactly does it all mean?

  • New Zealand law defines a genetically modified organism (GMO) as any organism in which any of the genes or other genetic material have been modified by, inherited or otherwise derived through any number of replications, by in vitro techniques.
  • Genetic engineering (GE) is the use of in vitro techniques to make genetically modified organisms.
  • Genetic modification (GM) is used interchangeably with the term genetic engineering by experts in the field.
  • Transgenic techniques, what we traditionally think of as genetic engineering, use a foreign “gene of interest” that has been cultured and inserted into a cell of the host organism. Today, it’s more common to hear about gene editing (GEd) techniques, such as CRISPR-Cas9, TALENs and ZFNs.
  • Gene editing (GEd) techniques have been around since the late 70s, but some tools (nucleases) like CRISPRCas9, TALENs and ZFNs are new.

The use of language in the GM debate 

The language used to describe genetic engineering has often been contested by those who would like to see it deregulated. For example, it’s been argued that conventional and selective breeding of plants is a form of genetic engineering. More recently, it has been argued that the biochemical processes of gene editing are similar to those that cause natural mutations.  

Jack Heinemann, a professor at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury, who promotes regulation, says the “equivalence to nature” argument is a semantic obfuscation, but a High Court ruling in 2014 made it unambiguous. New Zealand became the first country to make it explicit in law that gene editing is a technique of genetic modification, meaning it must be regulated. Heinemann was the expert witness in this case. This ruling hinged on the ability of the technique to make changes at scale that wouldn’t happen in nature, he says. 

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A potted history 

This tension between those for and against regulation has been a continuous thread in the national discourse, with the public generally wanting controls, and industry and parts of academia wanting more freedom to experiment. 

After a field trial moratorium was lifted in 1987, the public became increasingly agitated about GE experimentation, particularly around the issue of contamination of agricultural crops, and demand for tighter regulation grew. The first big breakthrough for activists came with the 1996 Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act, leading to the creation of the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA). This was the body responsible for overseeing importation, development, field trials and releases of GMOs. The act allowed scientists to experiment with GM techniques in the lab and in contained field trials. 

But GE experiments began to cross lines that many people found distasteful and unethical. The worry that GMOs might escape from the lab and contaminate and self-propagate in the environment, or that food with foreign genes inserted might end up on their plate kept activists like Zelka Grammer motivated.  

“You have this whole nefarious history of incompetence and slackness, and then even worse, MAF and MPI not adequately monitoring to catch significant breaches of ERMA’s rules of approval,” says the chair of GE-free Tai Tokerau. “People like Stefan Browning from the Green party and local orchardists had to go and find secret field trial locations, take photographic evidence, march down to MAF and MPI and say, ‘WTF! Why are these brassicas flowering out of doors when it’s not allowed under the conditions of approval?’ It was shut down in disgrace over and over and over.” 

There was a strong feeling that regulators were not adequately monitoring trials, and the rapid development of the biotech industry was seen as a threat to New Zealand’s agricultural sector. Despite this, industry and academic voices were keen to see the technology liberated for use in both the biomedical and agricultural spheres. Without deregulation, New Zealand would be left behind in the technological and economic race. 

Organisations such as the Royal Society Te Apārangi, Plant & Food Research, Scion, NZBio, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Agcarm (New Zealand Association for Animal Health and Crop Protection) and Federated Farmers have all advocated for greater deregulation of genetic engineering over the years. 

A petition signed by 92,000 Kiwis called for a Royal Commission to investigate and establish a way forward for the controversial technology. This was done, and in 2000 the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification validated many of the concerns voices by activists. The overall recommendation was to “proceed with caution”, while also rejecting the unrestricted use of genetic engineering. Within a year, a voluntary moratorium was put in place – all in all a landmark year for people power.  

Several memorable hīkoi in 2001 and 2003 followed the Commission’s findings. Māori played a big part in their organisation but the movement was broad-based and many New Zealanders took part. Groups like GE-Free New Zealand and Mothers Against Genetic Engineering (MAdGE) had a prominent public voice. In 2015 the Northland and Hastings regions were successful in asserting their own “GE free” status in their district plans. 

It is clear that everyone is in it for the money. The risks can be dismissed by appealing to the benefits, and when the benefits are not forthcoming, the promises have to be kept alive. Biotechnology is the south sea bubble at the end of the millennium.

A quote from “The Biotechnology Bubble”, an article by Mae-Wan Ho, Hartmut Meyer and Joe Cummins, originally published in The Ecologist and reprinted in the July 1999 issue of Organic NZ.

However in 2012, CRISPR, a new gene editing tool, had been discovered. Proponents argued it was more precise than transgenics, and led to changes similar to what might happen naturally. Proponents said the technology should be set free to fulfil its potential. It could be applied not only in food production, but also in medical research, pest control and even to tackle climate change. 

At the same time, a growing body of scientific literature showed that gene editing gave rise to numerous unintended genetic mutations, and was not as precise as claimed. The Sustainability Council of New Zealand took the Environmental Protection Authority (formerly ERMA) to court to challenge industry claims that gene editing was not genetic engineering. 

The 2014 High Court ruling, which determined gene editing was legally a form of genetic modification, also established that the rate and specificity of change was what made the technology risky. 

Key dates in the history of GE

1973First recombinant bacteria is developed in the US.
1978The New Zealand government places a moratorium on field releases that remains in place for 10 years.
1980sThe early 1980s sees GE technologies begin to be applied in laboratories in New Zealand, largely for biological and medical research purposes.
1988The moratorium on field release is lifted and an Interim Assessment Group (IAG) is established for the field testing and release of genetically modified organisms.
1996Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 passes in law, which leads to the establishment of the Environmental Risk Management Authority New Zealand (ERMA).
1999The Independent Biotechnology Advisory Committee is established to assess and provide independent advice on the use of GE technology.
2000The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification is established and a voluntary moratorium put in place.
2008Activists chop down GE pine trees at a Scion forestry research site near Rotorua in 2008 and 2012. 
2011ERMA becomes the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
2012CRISPR is invented, adding a new tool to the GE toolbox. 
2014The High Court rules that gene editing is a form of genetic modification.
2015Both the Hastings and Northland regions become GE free. 
2016Auckland becomes GE free.
2021Productivity Commission report recommends a full review of HSNO.

The Māori world view

Māori have largely been vocal opponents of GE from the beginning. “The issue is that using GE will have an impact on the mauri of our food and the soil,” says Lahni Wharerau, kaiwhakahaere of Te Waka Kai Ora, the National Māori Organics Authority. “Mauri is what gives us life force and underpins wellbeing. GE interferes with that.”  

Wider news reporting since the Productivity Commission’s report shows that attitudes aren’t set in stone. Maui Hudson, associate professor at the University of Waikato, said a national survey of Māori on the issue of genetic modification and gene editing was done last year, showing a wide variety of perspectives were held. “For some people it’s all the same, whether it’s genetic modification or gene editing, while for others they get that there is a difference and that may change the way you think about it.” However, a “proceed with caution” approach was still valued. “In the context of the conversations we’ve had, there is no appetite for a totally unregulated environment for gene editing.” 

The Productivity Commission and the global push for GE deregulation 

The New Zealand Productivity Commission last year called for a complete review of HSNO, as well as the legislative framework and institutional arrangements governing genetic engineering, suggesting separate legislation or a standalone regulator. 

“Technologies have moved on significantly over the last 20 years. In particular, advances in gene editing have produced technologies such as CRISPR, which enable much faster and more precise modification than earlier tools,” it says in its 2021 report. 

Once again, proponents have seized the opportunity to promote deregulation. Jack Heinemann says the push for deregulation is happening globally. Pulling no punches,  
he calls it an orchestrated campaign by vested interests – industry and those parts of academia aligned with industry outcomes – that follows the same pattern everywhere, drowning out voices of scientific doubt. 

As a geneticist, he is immensely positive about the benefit to society of regulated genetic engineering in the lab, but says both the utopian promise of genetic engineering – how it’s promoted to the public and the regulators – and the risk profile remain unchanged since regulations were put in place. What gene editing does is change the scale and speed at which interventions can be made in nature, he says. “That is precisely what makes a technology risky.” 

President of GE-Free New Zealand Claire Bleakley says the HSNO regulations follow a clear pathway to ensure products are safe. “Because GMOs are living organisms they might contaminate the indigenous flora and fauna, the economic crops, or have serious health effects. Our biggest concern is that the Productivity Commission report was basically minimising the dangers of GMOs and highlighting the simplicity of them.” 

Sociologist Jodie Bruning agrees the report obfuscates risk, and doesn’t represent what the bulk of submissions had been asking for – just two out of 80 submissions (both from the medical industry) that fed into the Productivity Commission’s 2021 report argued that HSNO should be opened up. 

The main fear Jack Heinemann, Claire Bleakley and Jodie Bruning convey is that without the appropriate checks and balances, and careful scientific oversight, niche experimentation with the ability to change organisms at pace and scale would proliferate, and with them, unintended consequences. 

“Regulation is not a ban. It isn’t stopping anything. Good science is like good democracy – it needs accountability and transparency. No dark corners,” Bruning says.  

Matariki: a new year commences

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As Puanga and the Matariki star cluster reappear in our midwinter sky, heralding the start of a new year in Aotearoa, we talk to a healer, a politician, a  biodynamic farmer and two organic growers about what Matariki means to them and how they’re choosing to celebrate it. 

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Pouwera, the circular community garden in Ōrākei

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Rob Small is the curator and designer of Pourewa, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s
productive organic garden in Auckland, which provides kai to local whānau and tells a mātauranga Māori story of its people and their place in the world.

Photography by Sally Tagg
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Pricing up organics

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When it comes to groceries, many of us want to shop organic, but can’t afford the higher price tag. So why is organic food more expensive, and when you add up environmental and health factors, does it really cost us more?

By Bonnie Flaws
Illustrations by Vasanti Unka 
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Everyone deserves to be able to eat a nutritious diet free of nasty chemicals and spray residues, but for almost all of us, it’s out of reach. Even dedicated organic shoppers in New Zealand have to make compromises, either because of the cost or availability of organic foods. Given affordable options and ready access, I believe most of us would probably favour organic foods all of the time.  

But cost more they do, and with rising inflation and geopolitical conflicts impacting on supply chains and energy prices, they are only going to get more expensive. Despite this, there are very good reasons to purchase organic foods whenever your budget can stretch for it. 

The case for eating organic

Jodie Bruning, a sociologist with expertise in the public health impacts of pesticides, and a Soil & Health National Council member, says while it can’t be claimed that organics are more nutritious than conventional produce (there is too much variability in soil type, climate and farming practices to make this claim), what is known is that eating organic food dramatically reduces exposure to synthetic, exogenous chemicals. And the risks to health are clear.  

“Whether it’s an insecticide, fungicide or herbicide, we’re seeing inflammatory markers worsened. We see neurodevelopmental impacts right through the food chain from the smallest insects to humans in the in vivo studies. One of the biggest costs of pesticides is endocrine (hormonal) disruption.”  

 

In fact, scientists are seeing worrying associations between pesticide exposure – particularly organophosphates – on learning, IQ and behaviour. A major factor driving parents to purchase organic produce in New Zealand today will be to protect their children’s brain health, she says. 

“However it’s not just pesticides. Ultra-processed foods, low in nutrition and fibre and high in additive chemicals can also contribute to health problems and degrade the microbiome, leading to neurological issues, including depression. Organic diets help people move away from these food types.” 

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Our independent journalism relies on support from people like you!

Paying not to pollute

Another reason to buy organic is to protect the environment and biodiversity. And interestingly, this point illuminates something that goes more or less unacknowledged: that when we buy conventional food, in effect, we end up paying more. 

We might pay less at the checkout, but over the long term and in other ways, we still end up paying the price for polluting. Noel Josephson, chairman of Ceres Organics, the country’s oldest organic retailer, explains: “The price on the supermarket shelf is not the true cost of the product – it’s only the economic cost. It doesn’t account for the cost to your health or the damage to the environment – all of those are passed on to the future. That is the key to understanding what it is you’re buying and if it’s good value. If you apply ‘true cost accounting’, organics comes out cheaper than conventional.”  

True cost accounting factors in the externalised costs of conventional food production. One example, says Noel, is the amount councils pay to remove agricultural chemicals from the water supply. Another is the cost of health care to treat diseases resulting from toxic exposures. The cost is socialised, or delayed, but we still end up paying. 

However, Geoff Kira, a senior lecturer at the School of Health Sciences at Massey University, says food insecurity affects one in five Kiwi families, and many people are paying up to 50 percent of their weekly budget on the rent alone. Such abstract calculations are not realistically going to be a factor in the weekly food shop for many. 

“If you apply ‘true cost accounting’, organics comes out cheaper than conventional.”

NOEL JOSEPHSON, CHAIRPERSON, CERES ORGANICS

*Correction: the price quoted above for tinned tomatoes from Commonsense Organics should read $0.57 for 100g. We incorrectly listed the 400g price.

Why organics cost more 

Teva Stewart, retail manager at Commonsense, says price generally comes down to the cost of production.  Organic production doesn’t rely on chemicals to take care of weeds, so labour costs are higher. They’re also not intensively planted or stocked, so overall yields are lower. These, along with certification, add costs right off the bat. However, organic production is generally just more expensive in New Zealand. 

“It can cost more to eat an organic product produced here than one produced overseas and shipped in,” he says. Case in point: a 500ml bottle of imported Spanish extra virgin olive oil costs $7 less than a locally produced one at my local organic shop. Teva also notes that distribution is more costly because we don’t have a rail network, instead relying on trucks, while the volumes of organic products being distributed are vastly smaller than conventional in New Zealand.  

Countdown’s assistant manager of organic produce Savilla Manuel says while demand for organic products is growing – sales grew 24 percent year-on-year in the period ending June 2021 – the scale of domestic production is comparatively tiny. Supermarkets are largely reliant on local suppliers, so things like adverse weather events, labour shortages and import restrictions have a significant impact on supply. Compounding the problem, organic land conversion takes about three years, a time commitment many growers are hesitant to make, she says. “This effectively reduces the number of larger growers within the industry from making the move to convert to organic, which otherwise would help to improve overall supply and reduce prices.” 

How low can they go?

Organic retailers will tell you that they already do all they can to offer organic goods at the lowest price. Due to bulk importation, certain items, such as tinned tomatoes, can be offered on special regularly. However, other types of food, such as root vegetables, will generally always be the same price, Teva says. “Things like carrots, beetroot and potatoes, which are in the ground for a long time and require a lot of weeding, they are always going to be $8 per kg in an organic store because those labour costs are there.” 

Noel Josephson says the market conditions that apply to conventional usually apply to organic. For example, New Zealand is competitive at producing wine, apples and kiwifruit. Organic production of these goods can also be done competitively and at scale, he says. “The point I’m making is that there is not much that is going to change from market to market, which isn’t already there, which is really caused by other factors such as the growing environment, the trading environment or the government regulations,” he says. But that doesn’t mean the conditions for lower prices can’t be brought about. This is happening now in the European Union where 25 percent of all agriculture is set to go organic by 2030, he says.  

BioGro chief executive Donald Nordeng agrees, and says if the country could get over the idea that government shouldn’t support farmers directly, there would be more likelihood prices could come down. “We could do something amazing, but currently we don’t have price support, which I think is a misnomer,” he says. The EU is subsidising half the cost of certification and providing crop insurance for organic farmers, incentivising organic conversion. There is also money available for farming infrastructure, such as fencing, riparian planting and tree planting. “[There are] all sorts of improvements. Billions and billions of dollars that are being earmarked for [organic] agricultural production. Here we don’t have any regulation yet so the government really can’t take action.” The Organic Products Bill is currently making its way through the house, and when the regulation is in place, it will bring greater investment and funding to grow the sector, he says. 

Noel says it’s something the country should aspire to. “It’s definitely in New Zealand’s interest. If we went organic, we would get a greater return for the same amount of land, we would have a less polluted environment, and it could support the regions.”   

Bonnie Flaws is a freelance journalist and writer based in Napier. She grows an organic vegetable garden and shops organic wherever her budget allows. 

To GE or not to GE: Organic growers consider Pfizer

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Organic NZ asked four organic growers to share their stories of how they navigated ethical considerations regarding the Pfizer vaccine. 

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Renewed focus on nutrition and health 

Everyone we spoke to is hopeful we emerge from the pandemic with a new commitment to local healthy food production. Dom Ferretti, of Ferretti Growers near Nelson, says their vegetable box deliveries are doing very well: “More people are taking the plunge into organics who may have been on the fence before. We are struggling to meet demand.” This growth in sales is also true for Untamed Earth Organic Farm in Christchurch. Co-owner Penny Platt told Organic NZ the pandemic has been a mixed bag:  
“In some ways it’s been challenging. Managing staff interactions to stop the spread, and with the markets closed, we’ve had to change how we work. But we’ve also benefitted. Vege box sales have gone up. People are thinking more about local food and eating at home. We’ve built our profile and connected with more people who are coming to us instead of buying from supermarkets.” 

When it comes to staying healthy, a focus on good nutrition and active stress management have been key planks for Dom Ferretti. “We’ve been mindful of the extra stress and hard work as a result of the pandemic. Our focus has been on eating well and ensuring we get enough zinc and vitamins C and D. These are efforts to keep all viruses at bay. Relaxation and stress release through yoga have also been important for us, and we’ve been doing a lot of cold-water therapy, which has some great benefits.” 

“In general, there is not enough focus on empowerment of the people to take their health into their own hands. It’s a tragedy to have to rely solely on outside help when there is so much opportunity for self-sustainability, and endless available resources out there to get people started!”

KELLY DIGGLE, ĀRĀMA GARDENS & NURSERY
Dom Ferretti and Jeaneatte Ida from Ferretti Growers, near Nelson, which delivers vege boxes, runs a farm shop and offers gardening workshops. 

What about the vaccine? 

The importance of people having the right to make their own personal decision about vaccination was common to everyone we spoke to. Penny Platt’s view is that GE technology has been used recklessly, but that in the pandemic we have to look at a wider set of concerns. “Not being an expert on the science, I defer to people who are. I am trusting of the public health response, and that it’s been conducted with peoples’ needs in mind. I don’t feel concerned about that. 

“Regarding our organic philosophy – the core of it is about health and well-being and fairness. The thing I  
am prioritising is the vulnerable and their health and wellbeing. The vaccination programme helps us to support other people as well as ourselves.” 

Penny is still opposed to the use of GE in foods. “I am opposed to GE because it enables patenting tech that disempowers local food growers and indigenous communities, and takes ownership away from the people and gives it to corporates. What gets lost when we replace heirloom seeds and the natural varieties through GE? This is not the same for the vaccine. The use of GE tech has often been reckless, and unjustified, which is the problem. It doesn’t mean there aren’t justified ways of using it.” 

“The GE technology isn’t GMO or anything like that. Yes, it uses GE technology and that is hard to square with organics but this is such a unique and hopefully very rare situation.”

TIM GOW, MANGAPIRI DOWNS

Dom Ferretti draws a parallel with the chemical revolution in agriculture and the mistakes that were made around chemical safety. “Our gut feeling was that this was not right. We have spent so many years being very aware and careful of what we put into our bodies. Then when we looked into it, we found plenty of evidence which caused concern. Lots of evidence suggested more caution needed to be taken with the vaccine than people were taking. My observation has been that these industrial products are always presented as safe and effective at the outset. Then only later do we realise the harmful effects. This is true of the chemical revolution in farming. My grandfather moved out from Italy and became a market gardener in the early 20th century. He and his family got swept up in the chemical revolution. In the end, my father told me that organics is the only way for the long term. We ended up with a lot of cancer in the family from chemical exposure.” 

Kelly Diggle of Ārāma Gardens & Nursery near Kaitaia, says a GE vaccine doesn’t sit well with her growing philosophy. “There’s a deep connection to the food sustaining me because I have participated in the growth and health of that plant before it essentially transforms into the very cells living in this body! The likes of a GE vaccine – which does not require the time, effort and commitment that is needed for a rich interpersonal relationship to develop – in its very nature goes against the flow of life.” 

Southland organic farmer Tim Gow says he wrestled with the decision for a long time. “We haven’t vaccinated our sheep stock in nearly 20 years and haven’t needed to. But then I looked at how this is a bit of a unique situation, being a global pandemic with essentially a completely new virus. So that was the deciding factor for me. The GE technology isn’t GMO or anything like that. Yes, it uses GE technology and that is hard to square with organics but this is such a unique and hopefully very rare situation. I’m also in that category of people more at risk due to my age.” 

Penny Platt co-owns Untamed Earth Organic Farm in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, which provides vege boxes for the local community. 

Getting back to a new normal 

Regardless of opinions, everyone is hopeful we can build better connections with food as we emerge from the pandemic. Kelly Diggle wants to see more encouragement towards things like organic gardening, food security, community building and food sustainability. “In general, there is not enough focus on empowerment of the people to take their health into their own hands. It’s a tragedy to have to rely solely on outside help when there is so much opportunity for self-sustainability, and endless available resources out there to get people started!”  

Dom Ferretti agrees: “We hope that people take more charge of their immune system; and that they utilise nutrition and other health practices to protect themselves. We also hope that mandates are dropped and never used again, and that we accept that this virus needs to run its course as nature intends.” 

Penny Platt hopes that the high vaccination rate will enable us to move through this pandemic safely. “The location of our farm means we work around vulnerable people – a residential care facility for people with disabilities. So we take extra care. But I am also looking forward to returning to more of a balanced life. I hope we can have less heated conversations once the direct effects are not so acute.”  

Remix Plastics spins material right round

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Anthea Madill is the owner of Remix Plastic, which sells jewellery and other products made from plastic waste as part of her kaupapa to educate people about sustainability. We talked to her about this mahi, and why  
we need to think beyond recycling as the main solution.

Photography: Juliet Nicholas
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Puro, Australasia’s organic-certified medical cannabis operation

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Perseverance, dedication and learning by doing has paved the pathway to organic certification for Puro, Australasia’s only organic-certified medical cannabis operation. Rebecca Reider visits its Marlborough farm. 

Photography: Puro
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10 natural health boosters

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With seasonal flu, colds and Covid-19 circulating, maintaining optimum health for you and your family is more important than ever.  Natural health practitioners gave us their top tips on getting organised, staying well and looking after yourself if you do get sick. 

1. Be prepared

Rongoā Māori healer Donna Kerridge (Ngāti Tahinga, Ngāti Mahuta) says that preparation is key right now. “When we look at the Māori way of living in harmony with our environment, it’s really important that we’re not just thinking about now but we’re doing what is required for three months’ time.” She advises doing practical things like making sure firewood is chopped and ready so people’s houses can be drier and warmer when illness is circulating and it’s cold, and airing bedding while it’s sunny. “Some of the best sanitisers in the world are the wind and the sun. Air your blankets so you’re clearing out the dust and sanitise the things you don’t wash every week.” She also recommends taking advantage of the season’s bounty by preserving food, making stocks out of fish remnants and freezing them, and harvesting herbal medicines. “By preserving the excess that we have available to us now we can build immunity and have nourishing options when we least feel like cooking because we’re unwell.”

“Preserve the excess now, so we have nourishing options available when we’re unwell ”, says Donna Kerridge, Rongoā Māori healer
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2. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food

Hippocrates’ words still ring true today. Eating a well-balanced nutritious diet is one of the best things you can do for your health. Wanaka Health Bridge (wanakahealthbridge.co.nz) is a website created by a collective of health practitioners in Wānaka to meet the needs of the local community during Covid. Various early action protocols covered on the site provide information on the stages of the virus, hygiene and immune-supporting minerals and vitamins.

When it comes to kai, naturopath, herbalist and nutritionist Kaz von Heraud-Parker, who led the initiative says, “If you can eat organic, where possible, you’re going to reduce the strain on your system,” but generally she advises eating a diet that targets core nutrients. This includes vitamin C-rich foods like blackcurrants, red peppers, kiwifruit, oranges, broccoli and parsley; foods rich in zinc such as meat, seafood, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, lentils and cashew nuts (it’s best to soak plant-based sources of zinc prior to eating to remove acids that can block absorption); and also probiotic foods like natural yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, miso and tempeh. Don’t forget about foods rich in quercetin either. This natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory may  also act as a ‘zinc ionophore’ (helping zinc to get into your cells where it works best). It’s abundant in red onions, red grapes, honey, citrus fruits and capers. 

3. Lower your viral load

“Reducing your viral load is a key thing to be doing now that the virus is out and about in the community,” says Kaz. “If you’ve been around areas where you know the virus has been, you can either do a nasal spray, a gargle, or suck on a propolis or mānuka lozenge.”
Donna says the best way to irrigate your nasal passages and make oxygen absorption more efficient is to swim in the sea. If  taking a dip is out of the question, she recommends buying a ready-made nasal rinse rather than making your own as people sometimes burn their sinuses with overly salty homemade rinses. 

4. Stay active

Science has shown us for some time now that people who are aerobically active are less likely to get sick from colds or infections and that they recover more quickly. A 2021 study of 50,000 Californians who were infected with Covid found that those who were the most active before they were ill were the least likely to be hospitalised or die of the illness. Try and do 150–300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity exercise per week (or 30 minutes a day). As well as formal exercise, remember that activities like cleaning and gardening also count and will help you move more and sit less.  

5. Stock your cupboards

Wanaka Health Bridge recommends adding these foods to your shopping list:

Herbs  

  • Fresh ginger root  
  • Fresh garlic bulbs  
  • Thyme 
  • Elderberries 
  • Echinacea  
  • Turmeric root  

Key nutrients  

  • Shiitake mushrooms  
  • Reishi mushrooms  
  • Lemons  
  • Kiwi fruit 
  • Berries  
  • Leafy greens  
  • Broccoli  
  • Sardines  
  • Pumpkin seeds  
  • Flax seeds  
  • In-season fresh fruit and vegetables  
  • Miso  
  • Organic vegetable broth 

6. DIY natural remedies

We’ve been using our gardens and pantries to heal ourselves since forever. Try some of these to boost your immunity and soothe mild illness.

Onions and honey 

Chop up an onion and put it in a jar with a tablespoon of honey. Leave overnight, then take spoonfuls of the liquid a couple of times a day. Donna says she also likes to add angiangi (the green woolly lichen from the uznea species, which you often find on old stonefruit trees). Or skip the onion and take 1 teaspoon of honey a day for gut health.

Herbal infusions and decoctions 

To make an infusion, which is like a herbal tea, simply pour boiling water over the dried leaves, steep for five minutes then drink. To make a decoction, which is the best way to access the properties of woody plants with thick leaves, gently simmer the plant material in water before cooling and drinking. Herb specialist Minette Tonoli (meadowsweet.co.nz) recommends good old lemon, ginger and honey tea, but also makes a tea out of 1 teaspoon each of dried yarrow, peppermint and elderflowers to bring down fevers. Donna’s top three plants for decoctions, which can be harvested and dried now, are kūmarahou and kānuka leaves and the leaves and flowers of mullein. 

Tomato tea 

Or try Minette’s tomato tea. Combine 1 litre of tomato juice (juice your own or buy it ready-made), 4–6 cloves of garlic, the juice of 2 lemons and half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a saucepan, bring to the boil then drink it as hot as you can manage. She advises drinking another cup four to six hours later. 

Sage gargle 

Make a sage tea by pouring boiling water over 2 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried sage leaves. Steep for about 10 minutes, add a teaspoon of honey or cider vinegar, then once it’s cool enough, use it as  
a gargle. The good thing about this tea is that you can also drink the leftovers. 

Herbal inhaler 

Instead of buying a nasal decongestant, Donna says it’s easy to make your own. Put cotton buds inside an empty medicine bottle, add 20 drops of eucalyptus or kānuka oil and sniff as needed to clear your sinuses. 

7. Let nature nurture you

Any gardener will tell you how good being outdoors makes them feel. But visiting a beach or even a local park will improve your sense of well-being. Being in natural spaces also significantly decreases our stress levels, which in turn reduces blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones. Plus being outdoors is a fantastic way to stay connected with people while reducing the chances of transmitting the virus.

8. Get a decent night’s sleep

“There isn’t one facet of our mental or physical performance that isn’t affected by the quality of your sleep,” says sleep specialist Jane Wrigglesworth (howtosleepwell.org). She recommends seven to eight hours of sleep a night. And says if you’re having trouble sleeping, you should find out why. “A cup of chamomile tea using a standard tea bag is unlikely to help, for example, if your problem with sleep is caused by a thyroid imbalance. Combined valerian and passiflora is a time-honoured treatment for insomnia, but it depends on the individual.” 

9. Grow fast food

It doesn’t get fresher and more convenient than being able to eat food you’ve grown yourself, especially if you’re isolating at home. Sow or plant salad greens every couple of weeks so you’ve always got fresh veges ready to harvest. Or for really speedy fare, sow microgreens. Simply press seed into a container of moist potting mix, lightly cover with soil and spritz daily. They’ll be ready to harvest in as little as a week. Or sow bean sprouts in a jar. Place a couple of tablespoons of your favourite sprout seeds in a jar, cover with 5cm water, leave to sit overnight, then cover with muslin or a mesh lid (available at garden centres or health stores), rinse out the excess water, then rinse and drain again. Repeat this a couple of times a day for several days, by which time your sprouts will have tails and be ready to eat.

10. Monitor your health if you do get sick

If you do get sick, make sure you get tested. Have a thermometer handy so you can take your temperature (normal is around 36.5–37.5oC) and record it along with your other symptoms.

Donna advises, “If you have other conditions like asthma or diabetes or take more than three types of medications, get a second opinion about whether you should be isolating at home or whether you should see a doctor face to face.” 

The advice in this story is in addition to the government’s advice and isn’t intended to replace standard medical treatment for Covid-19. Visit covid19.govt.nz for the government’s latest health advice.  

Nurturing resilience at Awatea Organics

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Awatea Organics is a research and training farm in Whangārei specialising in heritage organic food, seed and medicine. Its founder, Tui Shortland, talked to us about food sovereignty, saving heritage seed and her work supporting indigenous communities internationally. 

Photography: Jacob Leaf

Video: Tui Shortland spoke to Organic NZ about the kaupapa of Awatea Organics

Tui Shortland spoke to Organic NZ about the kaupapa of Awatea Organics

I’ve been gardening here at Te Rewarewa for four years now, opening up the māra as a way to reconnect our whānau back to the land and writing our food sovereignty kaupapa. Our business, Awatea Organics, specialises in growing heritage organic food, seed, and medicine, as well as cultivating farmers. We believe that sharing knowledge about growing heritage food is going to help our people to reclaim our culture, reconnect to the land and be healthy.  

Te Rewarewa was the traditional area of our tūpuna, but after colonisation, most of the land was confiscated. So pretty much, we’ve been squeezed down to this 165 acre block. A lot of things have happened in terms of illegal use of the land, pushing the family off and alienation but we’ve been fortunate to have a legal incorporation for a long time, so we have meetings – and every year more families come back and talk about our vision for the land.  

  • Tui has installed a solar-powered cabin at the māra, which provides a place to relax and is a retreat from the sun and rain.
  • Mānuka stakes provide support for plants to climb up.

My father ran a traditional medicine clinic in Whangārei. He taught me how to harvest and prepare plant medicines. I get my love of the forest from him. 

At Awatea Organics, we believe the future of food is culture. We follow the ancient principles of mimicking nature, establishing biodiverse resilient ecosystems of nutritious food. Hand-raised and hand-harvested heritage produce reconnects people to their ancestors and follows indigenous practices with an intergenerational focus. Traditional superfoods we grow here include Māori potatoes like kōwinini as well as taro, kūmara and pūha, the native brassica – ruruhau, and we also grow medicinal plants like kūmarahou and karamū. 

There’s a famine when it comes to Māori seed, so growing out seed is really important. Sometimes we’ll get given a little handful of old seed and we grow the crop until we get to a point that we have enough to eat and also some seed to save. We’re constantly looking at how we can improve the resilience of our seed. We grew some plants through the seven-year drought in 2020 and it’s our favourite seed because it’s so hardy. Once we’ve grown a crop for 20 cycles, the seed has adapted to our microclimate and soil. 

We plant using indigenous methodologies. Our water conservation, terracing, companion planting, all of it is very much about tried and true ways of growing our food according to principles of our ancestors – principles around biodiversity, understanding your microclimate and fostering soil. As soon as we cleared the tobacco weed, privet and kikuyu away and opened up the māra, straight away we had birds coming in like riroriro (grey warbler) and tūi, and there’s a resident ruru here and a resident kāhu (hawk).  

Soil health is very important to us. Our indigenous ways of growing food are very much around soil regeneration and the ethics of returning life to that which gives you life. It’s about putting the breath or the mauri back into the plants because they’ve given it to us. We have some big old critters here – there’s a huge centipede that we try not to think about too much because otherwise you get put off putting your hands in the soil. But all of the life that is in the soil is supporting all of the plants that we’re bringing through. We try not to let the soil get too dry or too bare. We believe that if we follow our principles of fostering the soil, then we can grow food here for the next 100 years. We eat seafood regularly so use the leftovers as fertiliser.  

Kōwiniwini are a favourite heritage crop

This is an educational māra at the moment. We grow plants that generally you might not find in a cultivation in a traditional mara, like tī kōuka (cabbage trees). We are trialling species that are generally found in the forest, and native flowers that are vulnerable or threatened. There’s a yellow daisy that the caterpillar of the kahukura (red admiral) butterfly eats. We observe it here and collect the seed and distribute it, and are about to launch a range of seed we’ve gathered from native flowering plants. 

Food is related to land, and rights to land is an issue. I’ve been working in biodiversity for 25 years now.  It’s something I wanted to do since I was very young. There are many barriers to going back to land and growing food. I was generating a database of sacred places and cultural water indicators for my father’s people – Ngāti Hine – and back then there wasn’t a lot of traditional-knowledge work going on. We were all trying to be pseudoscientists and went around measuring faecal coliforms and e. coli. But when you go to court and you try to oppose a big discharge into a river, the developer always has a better scientist and so we decided that we would come from a strength-based approach and put forward our traditional knowledge around issues.  

Our elders said, “Go overseas and talk to other indigenous peoples and see how they are doing it.” We raised funds and went to India and then stopped in Malaysia on the way back and worked with the Orang Asli people there, and ever since then I have worked overseas teaching governments about what traditional knowledge is because there are UN treaties that require protection of traditional knowledge and customary sustainable use of biodiversity.  We also write reports on the state of biodiversity and climate, from Pasifika peoples’ perspectives, and find them partners to help with things like technological transfer, or investing in more monitoring. So a lot of the work that Awatea does is bridging and connecting and translating and mentoring. 

  • A large part of Awatea Organics’ work is saving indigenous seed.
  • Awatea Organics is collecting the seed of a yellow daisy in the garden that is a host plant for the kahukura (red admiral butterfly) caterpillar.

After the COP26 climate summit, we saw that there was more of a global commitment to changing the way that we live. We saw a lot of the private sector and some governments wanting to change, which gave us a lot of hope. But in the transition to achieve net-zero emissions, we need to ensure there are safeguards in place so indigenous peoples and vulnerable communities are not impacted by the new developments and new technologies. So that’s a big thing we’re doing at the moment – working with industries on shaping their sustainability frameworks to include indigenous safeguards. 

We’ve been part of the GE-free movement in the north since the beginning. A regional policy statement that came out said that GE was a major issue for the tangata whenua of Te Tai Tokerau. Because of that we ended up in the high court with Federated Farmers. All we were saying in the policy was that we wanted Northlanders to have a right to say around GE, but Federated Farmers said that they thought it should be the EPA instead of Northlanders. They lost but we’re back in it now because there’s new language around synthetic biology and things like that. So for me, organics is not only about following the principles of our ancestors in terms of how we grow and how we manaaki people, but it’s also about the political side of it and ensuring that these big industries and also industrial agriculture are ramped down. I believe we need to come together a lot more too. The organics community has so much to give to the industrial agriculture community – they need to open up because everybody needs to change within the next 10 years we’ve got – or less now we’ve been told by the scientists 

Kahu Armstrong (left), one of the Awatea Organics team, waters the garden while Tui’s daughter Hinetaekura (centre) plants orange cosmos in the garden to attract pollinators. Tui (right) has found pampas grass to be an effective mulch during Northland’s hot, dry summers.

We see ourselves as guardians of the community and have plans to open up parts of the māra. The garden teaches us so many things: about abundance and community, and we hope that in the future people will eventually come and experience it and be inspired by it.    

Find out more about Awatea Organics, their indigenous consultancy work, heritage native plants and the maramataka on their website: awateaorganics.nz. They also sell a range of products including a harvest-succession calendar. 

Blooming beautiful flowers with Organic Blooms

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Flower farming wasn’t in the plan for Craig and Mandy Purvis, but grew out of a shift away from the corporate world and towards organics. 
Theresa Sjöquist traces the couple’s journey to becoming one of the few certified organic flower growers in New Zealand. 

Photography: Tony Brownjohn and Theresa Sjöquist
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