"The kiwi giant's headache in China sheds light on the country's lagging legal framework for protecting biological genetic resources, analysts said."
I'm a great fan of New Zealand but I've little sympathy for them in this matter. I've always known the so-called kiwifruit as the Chinese gooseberry and its name reflects its origin, it's actually a native of China!
The fact is New Zealand originally 'stole' the fruit—the biological genetic resources—from China then had the unmitigated hide to rename and market it under its own name of kiwifruit. Right, the new name kiwifruit actually implies it's a native of New Zealand when it's nothing of the sort.
What I find strange is that New Zealand boldly promulgates the attitude that it somehow now owns the Chinese gooseberry now that it's given the fruit a New Zealand identity.
The Chinese ought to be furious. If I were Chinese I'd be damn-well pissed off at NZ's effrontery and impudence.
Appropriating flora from one county to another surreptitiously or by force has become a big deal in recent years and there's no evidence NZ is paying China for the privilege.
It's too bad that New Zealand's Zespri Group owns the rights to the SunGold kiwifruit, it seems to me it's been opportunistic and lost. If China ignores the Group it'll be teaching NZ a good lesson. Tough titty.
Unfortunately, New Zealand is not alone in this regard, Canada has done similar by uniliterally changing the name of rapeseed/rapeseed oil to Canola/Canola oil.
I'm a great fan of New Zealand but I've little sympathy for them in this matter. I've always known the so-called kiwifruit as the Chinese gooseberry and its name reflects its origin, it's actually a native of China!
The fact is New Zealand originally 'stole' the fruit—the biological genetic resources—from China then had the unmitigated hide to rename and market it under its own name of kiwifruit. Right, the new name kiwifruit actually implies it's a native of New Zealand when it's nothing of the sort.
What I find strange is that New Zealand boldly promulgates the attitude that it somehow now owns the Chinese gooseberry now that it's given the fruit a New Zealand identity.
The Chinese ought to be furious. If I were Chinese I'd be damn-well pissed off at NZ's effrontery and impudence.
Appropriating flora from one county to another surreptitiously or by force has become a big deal in recent years and there's no evidence NZ is paying China for the privilege.
It's too bad that New Zealand's Zespri Group owns the rights to the SunGold kiwifruit, it seems to me it's been opportunistic and lost. If China ignores the Group it'll be teaching NZ a good lesson. Tough titty.
Unfortunately, New Zealand is not alone in this regard, Canada has done similar by uniliterally changing the name of rapeseed/rapeseed oil to Canola/Canola oil.