Govt should follow EU and ban toxic herbicide ingredient

The Green Party is calling on the Government to ban the toxic ingredient POEA, after answers to written questions to the Minister for the Environment revealed it is an undisclosed ingredient in almost 90 products sold in New Zealand.

The European Union (EU) Commission has recommended that EU member states ban the use of Polyoxyethylene tallow amine (POEA), a common ingredient in herbicides like Roundup, which researchers expect could cause cell damage and death, and may cause pregnancy problems including abnormal foetal development, low birth weights or miscarriages at residual levels found on some treated crops, lawns and gardens.

In answers to written questions, Dr Nick Smith said that POEA is contained in 69 glyphosate-based herbicides and 18 other formulations with different active ingredients, but refused to disclose the names of those products.

“The Government should immediately ban this toxic ingredient which has the potential to damage human cells and create problems during pregnancy,” said Green Party pesticides spokesperson Steffan Browning.

"The Government has refused to name which products contain this dangerous ingredient, claiming this information is commercially sensitive.

"The EU Commission looked at the science and decided POEA is too dangerous to be on the market. I would like to know why the Government thinks it's not even worth telling New Zealanders that this dangerous ingredient is in nearly 90 products on the market.

"The Green Party has been campaigning to stop glyphosate-based herbicides, many of which include POEA, being used in streets, parks and playgrounds.

"We have identified several safe, and cost-effective alternatives for councils and contractors to use in weed management, such as hot water or foam, steam and mechanical methods.

"The Green Party is calling on the Government to do a full public reassessment of the safety of glyphosate-based herbicides, using published and independent science, rather than its recent narrow review using very selective science and analysis," said Mr Browning.

Action

How to get involved - Treaty Principles

Information on how to make a submission, volunteer or run your own event.

Action

Submit for Climate Action

Submit today to ask the Government to commit to strong Climate Change targets.

Action

Treaty Principles - Make a submission

Join our submission. Let's make it clear that we do not support the Treaty Principles bill.

Action

Ditch the Bootcamps - Sign our petition

Sign our petition demanding an end to bootcamps for children.

Action

Build Dunedin Hospital

Take our poll on how the Government should spend its money, and email Christopher Luxon telling him your thoughts.

Action

Oil & Gas Quick Submissions 2024

Sign the quick submission to save the oil & gas ban!

Action

Stop Fast-track Destruction

Join our call to stop the Fast-track Approvals Bill.

Action

Protect te reo Māori

Sign our petition asking Minister Erica Stanford to keep prioritising the teaching of te reo Māori.

Action

Cut the Coal Petition | Join the movement

Fight back: Tell the government that coal mining is not our future.

Action

Protect Our Freshwater

Join our Green MPs in calling for the government to protect freshwater. Proposed changes to the Resource Management Act threaten New Zealand's...

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Environment Announcements

Story

Government’s move to monetise access to nature a slippery slope

The Green Party is voicing serious concerns over the Government’s proposal to charge for access to public conservation land, released today.

Fast Track Bill threatens environment, climate and reputation

The fast-track legislation passing its second reading in Parliament is another step towards environmental ruin.

Fast-Track, off the rails: Submitters show strong opposition to Bill

Despite resounding public opposition, the fast-track legislation is being pushed through Parliament with provisions that could have real consequenc...

Govt’s shameful backtrack on marine conservation

The Green Party has condemned the Government’s late change to allow commercial fishing in protected areas in the Hauraki Gulf.

Trojan Horse approach to fast-track projects threatens environment

The Government’s fast-track list is another example of its reckless approach to the environment and disregard for due process.

Greens call for public to back Wrybill in BOTY and beyond

The Green Party is calling on the public to support the Ngutu Pare Wrybill not just in this year’s Bird of the Year competition but also in pushing...

Policy

Food Policy

The Green Party supports everyone’s right to food that is safe, accessible, and affordable. For Māori, this includes the right to access and prepar...

Story

Kids need feeding now, let’s fund more food in schools

A report showing one in five New Zealand children don’t have enough food should prompt urgent action to roll out a national strategy for free food ...

Green Party Bill on Country of Origin Food Labelling passes into law

A Green Party member’s bill that allows New Zealanders to know where their food comes was passed almost unanimously by Parliament today, Green Part...

Greens announce plan for honest food labelling

The Green Party today announced a plan for honest food labelling to ensure ‘free range’ means what it says, and consumers can easily see where thei...

Kiwis one step closer to knowing where their food is from

Support for Green MP Steffan Browning’s member’s bill is a win for the vast majority of New Zealanders who want to know where the food they buy is ...

Poll shows huge support for Greens’ country of origin labelling bill

The Green Party is calling for cross-party support for its Members’ Bill that would introduce mandatory country of origin labelling for meat, fruit...

Story

Luxon needs to address the cow in the room

The Green Party was appalled to hear Prime Minister Christopher Luxon claim we are “doing everything we can” on climate change, while his governmen...

Farmers among first and worst hit by climate change

The Government has once again kicked the climate action can down the road by removing agricultural emissions from the Emissions Trading Scheme.

Cabinet’s emissions pricing plan leaves too much to chance

Only the Green Party has a plan to reduce agricultural emissions at the scale and pace needed. The Labour Cabinet’s plan for pricing agriculture em...

Greens celebrate passing of Organic Products and Production Bill

Following decades of work by the Green Party alongside the organics sector, people will finally be able to be confident that products labelled orga...

Report shows reducing actual farming emissions vital

Evidence shows that relying on offsets to reduce agriculture’s impact on the climate will not work, the Green Party says.

Government handing Fonterra a free pass

Minister O’Connor should immediately pause the Government’s proposed Fonterra Bill and review its potential impact on the climate, the Green Party ...

Petition

Take action to protect our oceans

We’re taking the health of our oceans seriously and our Thriving Oceans Plan sets out exactly how the Green Party will protect them so we all can e...

TAKE ACTION

Policy

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Policy

The Green Party will support the agricultural sector through a just transition to reduce its emissions, minimise harmful inputs and practices, rege...

Story

Review of live animal exports needed to protect animal welfare and New Zealand’s agricultural brand

The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor to review New Zealand’s live animal exports rules. “New Ze...

Cameras on boats must be quickly scaled up: Greens

The Green Party is glad to finally see the rollout of cameras on selected fishing boats but believes it needs to be scaled-up fast. “We need camera...

More measures to protect Hector’s dolphins

Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage are accelerating work to improve protection of the nationally endangered Hect...

Commercial water charge the right thing to do

Using water for commercial gain is a privilege that should be paid for, the Green Party said today. “We recognise that the issue of charging for wa...