Govt needs to rethink Food Bill's reach

Home gardeners, people who barter or swap food, sell food directly to consumers, and small growers, should be exempt from food regulations contained in a new Food Bill, Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

The Food Bill is due to have its second reading when then new Parliament reconvenes. It would require people who trade or barter food to operate under a registered food control plan or a national programme.

"There is growing public concern that provisions in the Food Bill could result in excessive regulations and restrictions on home gardeners and small growers," Ms Kedgley said.

Ms Kedgley said home gardeners, people who barter food or sell it directly to consumers, should not have been captured in the Bill.

"I am calling on the Minister to allay people's fears by reassuring New Zealanders that these groups will be exempt from the provisions of the Bill."

Ms Kedgley said it was excessive, bureaucratic and unnecessary to impose regulations on home gardeners and those who swap food.

"These provisions are not going to help New Zealander's eat more healthily.

"We should be doing everything we can to encourage people to grow and swap food, not discourage local food production by imposing potentially onerous regulations on home gardeners.

"For economic and health reasons we should be supporting community gardens, farmers markets, community supported agriculture, bartering and food swapping, and any other system of local food production that helps improve the country's food security and resilience."

Ms Kedgley said if the Government did not agree to exempt home gardeners and small growers from the bill, the Green Party would be unlikely to support it.