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Organic E-News

PEI Certified Organic Producers Co-op Newsletter - Dec 2007


In this issue:

Because of Workshop Success COPC Will Undertake New Organic Workshop Series in New Year

The PEI Certified Organic Producers Co-op has undertaken eight workshops on organic agriculture in 2007. The workshops covered a wide variety of topics including small-scale farm equipment utilization, greenhouse growing techniques, field trial workshop, organic pork production and weed management in field crops.

Melissa Mullen, a board member with the COPC, says that the workshops have been well attended and the comments from participants have been quite positive. All workshops in 2007 have been held at local organic farms throughout the Island. A variety of workshops have been held. One, dealing with pastured poultry, was held at Tina and Arthur Davies, Emmerdale Eden farm in Linkletter on July 9th. The second workshop, on alternative breeds for organic pork production, will held in July 23rd at the Farm Centre, in Charlottetown. The alternative pork breeds workshop was led by Angela Patterson, an organic pork breeder and former member of the Fresh Air Co-operative in Middleton Nova Scotia.

Mark Bernard, president of COPC, says that he is pleased with the response to the workshops and that plans are underway to expand the series in 2008.

For those seeking more information on the last two workshops they may call 902-894-9999.

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LOO BELIEVES HOG INDUSTRY SHOULD HAVE UNDERTAKEN A LONGER DEVELOPMENT PERIOD

Raymond Loo, past chair of the PEI Certified Organic Producers, is disappointed that more developmental support was not provided to the hog industry in order for it to adapt to the requirements of natural and organic pork production. "Clearly the future for the livestock industry lies in the non commodity markets, that is, the direct and niche marketing with a value added component. It was very positive that NFOG was  moving in that direction", says Loo. He stated, however, that a conversion to natural and organic products will not occur overnight and that a successful conversion to natural and certified organic meat products requires strong education, marketing and infrastructure support components in order to make it sustainable over the long-term. He added that this is the case, not just for the hog industry, but for all Island livestock industries.

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CANADIAN ORGANIC FARMING GETS FEDERAL FUNDS

BIBLE HILL – Organic farming in Canada is receiving “a boost” of $1.3 million to help accelerate research and production in the environmentally friendly agriculture process.
“This government is focusing on science and innovaion to help farmers and processors take advantage of opportunities created by new consumer demands in a changing global marketplace,” Gerald Keddy, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency announced yesterday at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. Organic farming is estimated as a $200-billion market on the global scale and Keddy said yesterday’s announcement will help ensure that Atlantic Canadian farmers will benefit from the increased support, research, production and partnerships that farmers need to develop organic food market opportunities. The funding, which comes under the national Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Food Program, includes $711,500 for research and $565,900 to help develop a national sector organization.“The opportunities for organics, at thispoint, there’s no end to it,” said Beth McMahon, executive director of the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network
HARRY SULLIVAN ,The Truro Daily News

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Saskatchewan's Premier Touts Canada-wide 'Ethanol Highway'

Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert is calling for creation of an ethanol-friendly highway that stretches from coast-to-coast. The plan would see high-grade ethanol-blended fuels made available along existing routes.Automakers are already building vehicles that can burn an 85-per-cent ethanol blend, although filling stations that sell the fuel at that concentration are few and far between. Calvert thinks an "E85" highway could help the environment and give a boost to the biofuels industry in Saskatchewan and other provinces. However, one industry expert is putting the brakes on, saying the industry may not have the fuel. [CBC] Back to top

Canadian Organic Farms Increase by 60%, Not All Good News

Between 2001 and 2006, the number of certified organic producers in Canada increased by nearly 60 per cent - according to a recent Statistics Canada agriculture census. While this is generally good news, Dr. Anne Clark of the University of Guelph warns that consumers may be fooled by the organic label. Organic farmers are also growing more hectares, and Canada imports a great deal of it's organic produce to meet consumer demands, creating conditions similar to conventional agriculture in terms of 'organic' chemicals and fuel use, including long-distance transport. The next step, farmers and agricultural researchers suggest, is the blending of the local and organic movements in order to push for greater agricultural sustainability for Canadian producers.

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America Facing Worst Summer Drought since the Dust Bowl

From the mountains and desert of the West, now into an eighth consecutive dry year, to the wheat farms of Alabama, where crops are failing because of rainfall levels 12 inches lower than usual, to the vast soupy expanse of Lake Okeechobee in southern Florida, which has become so dry it actually caught fire a couple of weeks ago, a continent is crying out for water. In the south-east, usually a lush, humid region, it is the driest few months since records began in 1895. California and Nevada, where burgeoning population centres co-exist with an often harsh, barren landscape, have seen less rain over the past year than at any time since 1924. The Sierra Nevada range, which straddles the two states, received only 27 per cent of its usual snowfall in winter, with immediate knock-on effects on water supplies for the populations of Las Vegas and Los Angeles. [the rest of the article]

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The Readers Digest Organic Challenge

The article in the March issue of Readers Digest "Does Organic Mean Healthier and is It worth the Money" may indicate the beginning of corporate food's campaign to sully the name of organic farmers and the food they produce. In any case it is uncanny how many critics have suddenly appeared on the scene after the Readers Digest March issue. As one local food processor commented, the Readers Digest front page article is perhaps an indication of the corporate food processors concerns about the public's growing desire for the quality food offered by organic farmers.

In the article the main challenge by RD editors appears to be around the question of whether organic food is healthier. Without a study reference they claim that some organic food has trace pesticide residue, which is probably true, however they fail to provide any comparative levels of pesticide residues between conventional and organic food. One might surmise that such evidence would reveal that, although all organic food is not always 100% pesticide free (what part of the natural world could be absolutely free of pesticide residue after the megatons of chemical pesticdes delivered by the chemical corporations for over 70 plus years) it is much less contaminated than most industrially produced food.

The article also criticizes the natural pesticides used by organic farmers without little reference to the context in which they are used and the strict controls placed on organic farmers by certifying bodies. Nor is there mention that the safety of all natural pesticide substances is clearly dependent on the the quantity utilized. The most telling part of the article is the space given over to quoting the representative of CropLife Canada, the corporate messenger for the Canadian Pesticide Industry. Unfortunately there is no "equal time" provided for comments from the Canadian organic industry.

Reader's Digest is the world's most widely read magazine ("Over 27 million copies in 19 languages bought monthly")and one can feel somewhat tentative about criticizing such a mainstream status quo magazine. Readers who like to step outside the mainstream media box, however, may find a recent book "American Dreamers" interesting. The new book, from former Digest managing editor Peter Canning reveals how, in the 1940s and 50s, the State Department and CIA fed content to the Readers Digest and helped its international editions thrive. Canning also discusses the Readers Digest numerous pro-Vietnam War editorials, and the way Nixon speeches found their way into the magazine under the byline "The Editors." He also details the story behind the sex discrimination suit filed against the Digest in 1976, among the largest ever, in which 2,600 female employees were awarded more than $1.5 million.

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Eating Organic Food Could Have Benefits for Health, New Castle University

A study by Dr Kirsten Brandt at Newcastle University used analysis of organic carrots, apples and potatoes to reveal greater concentrations of vitamin C and chemicals that can protect the body against heart attacks and cancer. The research could challenge official Government guidelines which say that there is no evidence of organic food being healthier than conventional produce. That guidance led Environment Secretary and South Shields MP David Miliband to say that organic food was a "lifestyle choice", though he later added that he ate organic food because of its taste and environmental benefits. But Dr Brandt's findings will lend scientific weight to the widely-held view that organic food is good for people. Dr Brandt said: "My research shows that there are benefits. The reason why it's such a grey area is because it's extremely difficult to measure the health benefit in any food, but we can say that if you eat 400g of fruit and vegetables per day you would get 20% more nutrients in organic food."

The new studies found that organic tomatoes had more vitamin C, beta-carotene and flavonoids, which are known to have benefits in the fight against cancer and heart disease, though they also had less lycopene, which is thought to help prevent skin ageing, diabetes and osteoporosis. Organic apple puree was found to contain more phenols, flavonoids and vitamin C than conventional versions. Dr Brandt - who grows her own vegetables on her allotment at Nafferton, Northumberland - hit the headlines two years ago when she published research that claimed eating carrots could help reduce the risk of cancer. Sales of organic food rose by 30% last year but until now the health benefits of organic food have been the subject of intense debate, with the Advertising Standards Agency advising against claims of nutritional benefits and the Food Standards Agency cool on those claims. Peter Melchett, policy director of the organic food pressure group the Soil Association, said: "There is clear evidence that a range of organic foods contain more beneficial nutrients and vitamins and less of things known to have a detrimental health effect such as saturated fats and nitrates."

Related Report: #1001-42 The European Market for Organic Fruit & Vegetables
Source: The Journal (Newcastle, UK)

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Japanese Agricultural Ministry to Promote Organic Farming

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry next autumn will for the first time initiate a project to promote high-level organic farming skills and the organic cultivation of agricultural products. The ministry will call on individual farmers with specialized knowledge - such as farming without pesticides and chemical fertilizers - to cooperate with the research into their techniques. Information gained through the project will be shared with new agricultural businesses in a bid to proliferate organic farming throughout the nation. Though the ministry has previously studied techniques and technologies to improve the quantity and quality of agricultural products through the efficient use of pesticides and other agrichemicals, this will be the first full-scale study on organic farming....The research aims to learn how to properly prepare soil, utilize fertilizers, and prevent damage from harmful insects and diseases when cultivating vegetables, ruits, rice and other grains. To scientifically verify that such skills are effective, the ministry will conduct cultivation experiments at national research institutions.

Source: The Daily Yomiuri(Tokyo)

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U$ Billionaires Are Recipients of US Farm Bill Support to Farmers

Washington, D.C. – Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, technology executive James Sorenson and Texas oil investor Lee Bass, all billionaires, are among the names found in a new database of U.S. agriculture subsidy recipients. The database was compiled by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group to encourage Congress to pass income-based "means tests" for farm-aid recipients, said Ken Cook, the group's president. The fact that billionaires get taxpayer money from programs meant for struggling farmers "shows how far off the tracks this set of policies really is," he said. "There's absolutely no reason why we should be providing subsidies to people who have means of that scale.

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European Parliament Votes for Organics

Environmental NGOs have welcomed the rejection by the European Parliament of a proposal to allow traces of genetically modified organisms in organic food. The result of the vote, say Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace, and the European Environmental Bureau, is a clear indication from European elected representatives that the right to GM-free food is non-negotiable. Parliament also voted in favour of an requesting an equal say on the legislation with member states, through the codecision procedure, so there will now be negotiations with the Council and Commission to resolve this conflict over legislative powers. The NGOs warn that the 0.1 % GMO contamination threshold should under no circumstances be used as a bargaining chip in the resolution of this conflict over legislative powers.

Source: Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace, European Environmental Bureau - Press Release

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Smile Awhile :)

The school of agriculture's dean of admissions was interviewing a prospective student, "Why have you chosen this career?" he asked.

"I dream of making a million dollars in farming, like my father," the student replied.

"Your father made a million dollars in farming?" echoed the dean, much impressed.

"No," replied the applicant. "But he always dreamed of it."

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