A second cut at the rules for the proposed Cooperative Society. Mainly clarifications and consistency changes. I have taken out all reference to preference shares at this stage as  I believe this is pre-emptive and the board can create any class of shares under Rule 41. So I have left this to the board to determine on what conditions any preference shares will apply and what privileges they will contain.

John McKay

2010-09-01 Mtg Minutes

In regards a name for the society it was decided a competition will be held to name the society. The name must include the words “Cooperative Society Limited”. The winner will receive a free harvest bag to the value of $25. The winner will be decided by the signatories of the application to form the cooperative society at the next meeting. The next meeting which will finalise the rules will be held the 14th of September at my apartment at Suite 10/14 Leeds Street. The application will be completed and finalised from this meeting. If any signatory cannot attend this meeting could you email me so we can obtain your approval or remove you from the application.

Next draft of the rules will be posted on the website over the weekend and a link will be provided in the newsletter update monday.

John McKay
3/09/2010

Beetroot risotto is nearly finished

As with all things beetroot, the result of this risotto is visually stunning. Deep magenta rice contrasts with the white feta and green parsley. This recipe makes enough for two hungry people but could easily serve 3-4 along with a salad.

• 1 large or 2 medium beetroot, peeled and grated
• 1 C risotto rice (e.g., arborio)
• 1 small onion, diced
• pinch saffron (optional)
• 1 T butter or olive oil
• ~500 ml homemade chicken or vege stock, with additional water as needed
• splash vermouth (optional)
• ~1/3 C Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, measured after grating
• feta, crumbled or cubed, as much as you like
• walnuts, plain or roasted
• handful of parsley, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped

Warm the stock in a small pan. Briefly heat the saffron threads in a dry frying pan then grind with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Add some water and let the saffron soak for a few minutes. Meanwhile saute the diced onion in the butter or oil in a deep frying pan until it starts turning clear. Add the rice to the onion and saute for a few more minutes. Add the vermouth, followed by a ladle or two of stock so that the rice is quite wet but not drowning. Add the saffron liquid and the grated beetroot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a strong simmer. For the next 20 minutes or so, regularly stir the risotto and as it starts to absorb the liquid, ladle in more stock.

Beetroot risotto ready for nomming

As the risotto starts to thicken and look creamy, start biting and tasting the rice granules. The risotto is ready when most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice grains are no longer chalky in texture. Take off the heat and add the Parmesan cheese and some of the parsley. Stir in and let sit for a couple of minutes. The risotto will thicken further.

Serve with a scattering of feta, walnuts, and parsley.  In the picture you’ll also see a drizzle of q quick dressing I made by blitzing sundried tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I find I don’t need to add salt to risotto even when using unsalted homemade stock, but your mileage may vary – taste and season if necessary.

This is a first draft so there are bound to be inconsistencies and mistakes.Email me with anything you think is incorrect. I have called the name of the Society TBA Cooperative Society Limited just as a place holder. We need to select a name that suits our purpose and intention being a closet communist my suggestion is Gung Ho CSA Cooperative Society Limited. “Gung Ho” in it’s original chinese context means work together. Could understand if this is a little radical for most members and intending members.

There will be a vote at the meeting on wednesday for the name so if you have any strong feelings about a name make them known then.

John McKay

30/08/2010

• 1 apple per person; choose a type that holds it shape when cooked like Granny Smiths
• 1 T ground almonds per apple
• 1/2 T brown sugar per apple
• 1/2 T butter per apple
• pinch cinnamon per apple
• 1 t dried fruit per apple (e.g., currants, goji berries, fruit mince)

Wash and halve the apples. Scoop out the core. Alternatively, if you have an apple corer, keep the apples whole and stuff the cavity. Put into a shallow oven-proof dish with the cavity upwards.

In a small bowl, combine the other ingredients with your finger tips into a crumbly paste. Put a tablespoon or so into each cavity. Sprinkle with liquer (e.g., apple brandy, calvados, apple schnapps) if you like.

Pour some water around the apples (no more than 1/2 cm) and bake at 180°C for 30 mins or so until the apples are soft.

Attention: Food, Consumer, Health, Agriculture, NGO, Environmental, Trade, Science, Consumer, Local Body, and Government Reporters.

Soil & Health Association of New Zealand

(Est. 1941)

Publishers of　ORGANIC NZ
16 August 2010

GE Food Ingredients Need Immediate Investigation

News today from GE Free NZ shows that a complex pesticide riddled genetically engineered (GE) corn, Smartstax, is being allowed into the New Zealand food supply without assessment by food regulators.(1)
Already 64 GE food lines and more than 14 GE food processing aids have been allowed through the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) assessment process, but none have contained anything like the 6 insecticides and 2 herbicide resistant genes that are contained in the Monsanto/Dow Chemicals Smartstax, according to the Soil & Health Association who have included in their Organic NZ magazine a list of New Zealand allowed GE food ingredients. (2,3)
“In the last 10 months FSANZ has allowed 3 more GE food lines into the food supply and is assessing another 6, but now FSANZ is allowing more complex and untested GE foods through without assessment,” said Soil & Health – Organic NZ spokesperson Steffan Browning.
“FSANZ has yet to decline an application for a GE food despite important animal feeding studies showing multi-generational infant mortalities, disorders of the reproductive, immune and blood clotting systems, and increased cases of pre-cancerous growths, and anti-nutrient effects.”
GE plant lines approved include canola, corn, potato, cotton, soy bean, lucerne (alfalfa), sugarbeet, and rice. Further GE corn, cotton and soybean applications are being processed. At least fourteen approved microbial-based food processing aids have also been approved.
“Food Safety Minister Kate Wilkinson needs to ensure a comprehensive review of imported GE foodstuffs, the gene constructs involved, whether they have been assessed, and whether GE foods are labeled in the supermarkets.”
“There is significant non-compliance in GE labeling and neither FSANZ nor the Minister’s New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is monitoring what is happening.”
“Until monitoring, or a safe precautionary approach, by the food safety authorities occurs, consumers can only confidently purchase processed foods if certified organic or GE/GMO Free labelled products,” said Mr Browning.
“The list of ingredients published in Organic NZ that may be derived from GE canola, corn, cotton or soy, is so broad that most processed foods sold in supermarkets will be at risk of GE contamination now, unless labeled GE/GMO Free or certified organic. The Organic NZ list of GE enzymes further reduces the uncontaminated product range.”
“FSANZ is ignoring mounting evidence of health risks from GE foods, just as it ignores serious health issues from pesticide residues in food. The same situation of complex mixtures and toxicity arise with GE as in pesticides, which FSANZ also fails to investigate properly.”
“Research has shown that pesticides in combination have toxicity effects greater than the expected sum, but FSANZ who sets food standards for Australia and New Zealand, generally appears to be a food industry puppet and is focused on facilitating trade ahead of exercising a precautionary approach to human health.”
“The latest New Zealand FSANZ Board member has simultaneously been made chairman of the Crown Forest Research Agency Scion, similarly reckless with GE, albeit in the environment. However with his previous experience as Chief Executive of successful GE Free trading Zespri, Mr Tony Nowall may understand that blindly following a GE path can have disadvantages.”(4, 5)

“FSANZ and NZFSA are too quick to accept GE company pseudo science and have consistently ignored the concerns of those providing precautionary advice including from highly experienced Australian and New Zealand GE scientists,” said Mr Browning.

“In 2007, following intense scientific debate following the release of previously blocked Monsanto data on rat GE feeding studies of MON 863 corn, a FSANZ staff member said that no independent feeding tests or independent assessments of company data are necessary and confidential company data are fine for safety assessments.”

It was found that the rats fed with the GM corn showed signs of toxicity in the liver and kidneys compared with those fed non-GM corn. Possible hormone alteration was also shown.

“The Food Safety Minister has the power to order an inquiry into why GE food labelling isn’t happening and why FSANZ is dismissing caution and allowing inadequately tested GE foods into New Zealand.”
The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand Inc is in its 70th year, and is the largest membership organisation supporting organic food and farming in New Zealand, and as such advocates for healthy and safe food and environmental sustainability. It has a vision of an Organic 2020 that does not include GE food, animals, trees or crops.

NOTES
GE Free in food & environment Smartstax GE corn media release, Smartstax GE Corn Leaves Food Standards Authority in Disarray,
and contacts below.
Contacts:

The Soil & Health Association of NZ – Organic NZ
Spokesperson
Steffan Browning – 021 725655

campaign@organicnz.org

GE Free NZ in food & environment
Jon Carapiet – 021 0507681
Claire Bleakley  – 06 3089842 / 027 3486731
REFERENCES
(1) GE Free NZ in food & environment media statement further below.
(2) http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/gmfoods/gmcurrentapplication1030.cfm
(3) Organic NZ July/August 2010 http://www.organicnz.org/organic-nz-magazine/ge-dont-swallow-it/
(4) http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?l=1&t=92&id=54292
(5) http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/local/news/former-zespri-ceo-one-of-two-directors-appointed-b/3916563/

Smartstax GE Corn Leaves Food Standards Authority in Disarray

The Food Standards Authority Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is in disarray, issuing conflicting reports that are vague and elusive, over the entry into the food chain of a new Monsanto/Dow Chemical pesticide filled GE corn variety, “Genuity Smartstax”. The new variety of corn is “stacked” with a combination of six different insecticidal and two herbicide tolerant genes that have never been assessed. [1]

In Australia, FSANZ has given MADGE [2] an understanding that Smartstax has been approved even though the levels of the pesticides being produced in the corn are unknown, safety parameters for human ingestion have never been set, and despite the scientific evidence that the combination of different gene insertions could produce further chemical or protein allergens.

“Replies to Freedom of Information Act requests by GE Free NZ to FSANZ reveal the Authority is unclear whether Smartstax has been regulated to enter the food chain, claiming they have no information,” [3] says Claire Bleakley from GE Free NZ in food and environment.

“But in further correspondence they claim it does not require assessment because approval had previously been given for the individual genetic modifications. Such an approach cannot be scientifically justified and presents a new level of threat to food safety.”

The International Codex Alimentarius rules [4] and the FSANZ standard 1.5.2 -1 (b) clearly states that any plant that has been genetically engineered or any plant that is derived or descended from a GE parent line even if conventionally bred has to be assessed for safety. [5]

“Smartstax has been engineered in the laboratory to contain the stacked genes with a toxic cocktail of traits that can have unique combined effects irrespective of reassurances that individual genes have been assessed for safety” said Mrs. Bleakley.

The Smartsatx corn is being grown on 4 million acres in the Corn Belt of America and the chemical cocktail of Bt insecticides kill caterpillars and release the Bt toxin to kill soil micro organisms below ground. The corn survives being sprayed with high levels of herbicides that are absorbed into the grain, and which cannot be washed off or boiled away.

American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) called for a moratorium; implementation of long term safety testing with epidemiological research and methods to determining the effects of GE foods on human health.  They asked Physicians to educate their patients, the medical community, and the public to avoid GM foods when possible.
“…GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health and are without benefit.” [6]

“As FSANZ has not regulated the Smartstax corn it must not allow it any where near our food supply as it could severely harm consumer’s health. The corn produces high levels of toxic insecticides which have been linked to damage to internal organs, digestive complications, sterility, allergies and sudden deaths [7],” says Claire Bleakley. “There are still no diagnostic tools to detect if rising levels of allergies, digestive irritability and skin diseases could be attributable to the increasing levels of GE in our diet.”

“The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is mandated to evaluate any genetically engineered food and assess its safety. Its mission statement is to protect the health of the public, and they must immediately uphold public safety and stop the corn product from entering our food supply”.

References –
[1] Genuity Smartstax – http://www.genuity.com/Traits/Corn/Genuity-SmartStax.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3biM4OlC_QE&feature=related
[2] MADGE press release http://www.madge.org.au/Docs/MR-100715-Smartstax.pdf

[3] Responses to GE Free NZ  requests from the FSANZ Acting General Counsel state:
“…FSANZ has previously approved all of the parental plant lines that have been used to conventionally breed Smartstax variety, under FSANZ‘s rules conventionally bred progeny of approved GE lines do not require specific approval”.

[4] GUIDELINE FOR THE CONDUCT OF FOOD SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF FOODS DERIVED FROM RECOMBINANT-DNA PLANT; CAC/GL 45-2003;
Paragraph 14. [..]. Unintended effects in recombinant-DNA plants may also arise through the insertion of DNA sequences and/or they may arise through subsequent conventional breeding of the recombinant-DNA plant. Safety assessment should include data and information to reduce the possibility that a food derived from a recombinant-DNA plant would have an unexpected, adverse effect on human health.

[5] FSANZ standard 1.5.2 under the definition 1(b), 1(b)(ii) 1(b)(i)  http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Standard_1_5_2_GM_v116.pdf

[6] Position paper on Genetically Modified Foods.  American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), 2009,  http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html

[7] de Vendômois JS, Roullier F, Cellier D, Séralini GE. A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health. Int J Biol Sci 2009; 5:706-726. http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm
www.gefree.org.nz
ENDS:
Jon Carapiet – 021 0507681
Claire Bleakley  – 06 3089842 / 027 3486731

The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand Inc

PO Box 36-170, Northcote, Auckland Phone: (09) 419 4536 Fax: (09) 419 4556

info@organicnz.org

The discussion at this meeting brought this story to mind, from Simon Sinek’s blog Re:Focus:

A very successful shoemaker in the United States was considering expanding his business into India. He decided to conduct some market research to help him properly assess the market opportunity before he could make his final decision. He sent one of his sons to travel the country from north to south. He sent his other son to travel the country from south to north.

After one year away, his two sons returned with their reports.

“We must expand to India,” said the son who traveled north to south. “No one there has shoes, the market opportunity is amazing.”

“There’s no point expanding to India,” said the son who traveled south to north. “No one there has shoes, there’s no demand.”

A market opportunity is not a thing that exists or doesn’t exist. No amount of research can conclude that there is or isn’t a market opportunity. A market opportunity is nothing more than a perception. Some perceive opportunities where others do not. Some succeed where others fail. And some fail where others succeed. This is the reason it is unwise to wake up everyday in pursuit of market opportunities. Why not chase unicorns? There is not a single example of a person or organization that ever achieved greatness by chasing a market opportunity.

Greatness starts with a problem that needs solving. The opportunity comes from marketing a solution that works. Sharing that solution becomes a cause. The cause inspires people to help. And when people are inspired to help, organizations become great.

If we were to look into the history of the successful American shoemaker, we might learn about a problem that he set out to solve that inspired him in the first place. Something few people know is that he grew up very poor in a very rural part of the country, a mile and a half from the nearest town. They were so poor they didn’t own a car or horse. They were so poor, they didn’t even have shoes. They had no way to cross the rocky, dirt roads to get to town.

One day, a passing traveler gave him a pair of shoes. The young boy put on the shoes and, for the first time in his life, he could walk across the sharp rocks on the dirt road without cutting up his feet. It was this one pair of shoes that made it possible for him to walk to town to get a job.  It was this job that helped lift him and his family out of poverty.  It was this one pair of shoes that inspired him.  He vowed that he would see to it that everyone in the world would have shoes so they could walk to and from work and provide for their families.

India, as it turns out, has many poor people and many sharp, rocky dirt roads. Is the opportunity to sell shoes or is to help people to live in dignity and provide for their families simply because they can walk across rocky, dirt roads to get to work?

Solve a problem, pursue a cause and, who knows, you might just sell a billion pairs of shoes in the process.

http://sinekpartners.typepad.com/refocus/2010/02/market-opportunities-dont-exist.html

Sharing the Risk – 17_08_10

A link to the minutes of the meeting

2010-08-17 Mtg Minutes