www.ofa.org.au

Organic Expo and Conference
The weekend of July 21 to 23 was a great success as Australia’s largest organic event. Thousands of people visited the Organic Expo, which had doubled in size since last year’s inaugural event.

The Hon Sussan Ley, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture launched both the Expo and OFA conference at the well attended cocktail event.

The OFA conference featured an exceptional array of useful and interesting presentations on organic systems with an emphasis sequestering atmospheric CO2 and using it in the soil to increase farm productivity.

Conference Declaration
"The OFA conference has provided compelling evidence that organic systems must become a substantial solution to the reduction and management of the effects of climate change. The meeting resolves to call on all governments to substantially increase financial support and policy development for organic systems research and implementation in the interests of the sustainability of our environment and the future of all living things on this earth."

OFA Awards Dinner Night and Launch of JOS
The launch of the Journal of Organic Systems and the presentation of appreciation awards to people who have given a lifetime service to the organic sector at the conference dinner were some of the highlights of the weekend.

Awards were presented to: Marjorie Spear, Yvonne Swindell, Betty Cornhill, Don Macfarlane, and Dick McNeil

I would like to thank following people who contributed to the conference. The organising committee of Paul Kristiansen, Colleen Yates, Eric Love, Cheryl Kemp, Catriona Macmillan, Mary Hackett, Hamish Mackay, Cathrine De Danann and Sharon Sztar for the many hours of unpaid work they contributed to this event. Our sponsors, RIRDC, NASAA, CORE, Compost Australia, Green Planet, Acres Australia, Organic Crop Protectants, Rosnay Wines, Tamburlaine Wines and Temple Bruer Wines ensured that we could keep it affordable for our participants. Very significantly, our presenters who gave their time and valuable knowledge.

Best Regards

Andre Leu
Chair

Back to Basics -2nd Queensland Organic Conference
The Organic Producers Association of Queensland (OPAQ) will hold Back to Basics -2nd Queensland Organic Conference on the 1 - 2 September 2006 at the Beerwah Community Hall in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

Conference organizers anticipate that over 150 delegates representing the entire organic food chain from primary producers to consumers will attend the two day event. Delegates will participate in a range of workshops and plenary sessions throughout day one while on day two delegates will travel north to Gympie visiting three certified organic farms.

A tradeshow will run in conjunction with the conference and will showcase local and interstate businesses that supply to the organic industry. This will allow interested people an opportunity to see a range of organic product.

Panel and workshop presenters include organic business, certification and industry leaders from Queensland and Interstate. Delegates will learn about Organic Certification, Soil Fertility, Beneficial Insects, Biological Controls and Climate Change and Organic Farming. Panel sessions are titled 'In the Marketplace' and 'Back to Basics: What is Organic Certification?'.

The 'Back to Basics' panel session will bring together high-ranking officials from many of Australia's seven certification bodies, industry and the Organic Federation of Australia, giving delegates an excellent opportunity to discuss broad and grass-roots issues currently facing organic growers and the organic industry in Queensland.

For Conference Bookings: Robyn Cook 1300 889 177
Email: piproductions@ozemail.com.au Web site: http://www.geocities.com/opaq2001

Pacific Forum
The OFA hosted a meeting between organic sector representatives from New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands and Australia on July 21, after the OFA AGM. The forum was the initiative of Brendan Hoare, IFOAM World Board Member. The agenda was to look at our regional issues and start a formal process of working together for the betterment of the organic sector in our region.

The meeting agreed formalise this process and that all country leaders would obtain full buy-in from their prospective organisations to form an Oceania Pacific Organic Forum (OPOF working name).

Western Australian Forums Contributed by Kathe Purvis (OGAWA).
The positive future of Organic Food was reflected in two days of events held in August in Western Australia hosted by the Organic Growers Association of Western Australia (OGAWA).

An Organic Symposium held at the University of Western Australia (UWA) attracted current industry stakeholders and interested consumers to a day of presentations on the organic industry. Keynote speaker Andre Leu spoke on the development of the Organic Federation of Australia (OFA) as the organic industry peak national body as well as describing the move towards a domestic standard for organic production and processing.

UWA provided three speakers who presented on current research topics and findings as well as the state of the organic industry in England.

Organic certification was covered by a representative from one of the certifying bodies. As usual the most popular speakers were the three growers presenting a snapshot of their operations, ranging from dairy operations, to pigs, and to olives, as well as touching on the supply chains and processing for these products.

The day was completed by tastings of a range of organic produce provided by individual growers and Absolutely Organic, a retail outlet.

On Sunday the follow up workshop attracted growers and other certified operators to hear further presentations on the introduction of a domestic organic standard as well as a snapshot of Andre Leu’s own farm management techniques. Supply chains and labeling issues were covered prior to a short forum, with the focus shifting after lunch to Environmental Management Systems in relation to Organic farming.

Next Forum Friday September 15^th in Perth
The interest generated in these events indicated a need for a follow up event to expand further on the move to implement a domestic standard for organic production and processing, and to allow for Western Australian industry opinion to be garnered by the OFA. To cater to this need an afternoon workshop will be held on Friday September 15^th in Perth. This event will include an information session on both organic farming systems and the introduction of the domestic standard for organic production and processing.

Industry stakeholders will be invited to participate in a more extensive forum at the end of the afternoon to allow the Organic Federation of Australia to hear the range of opinions in the West Australian industry on the move.

Enquiries and bookings for this event can be directed to Annie Dunn at Absolutely Organic retail outlet 92427711 or by email to enquiries@ogawa.org.au

The Federation of Biological Farmers Inc Healthy Soils Symposium
The Federation of Biological Farmers Inc., held a very successful 'Healthy Soils through Communication' Symposium in Seymour on August 16^th & 17^th 2006.

Over 100 farmers attended the two days and the conference dinner, listening to a wide range valuable presentations on redesigning farming systems to make them more profitable and environmentally sustainable.

UK Organic Food Sales Grow at the Fastest Rate
Sales of organic food in Britain are rising at the fastest rate since the turn of the century, riding a wave of good publicity and a new concern with healthy eating among the less well-off.

The Soil Association, said in its annual report that sales of organic food leapt by 30 per cent to £1.6 billion in 2005 - almost three times the 11 per cent growth of the previous year. A survey for the organisation showed that the appeal of organic food was spreading, with half of customers in lower socio-economic groups now buying organic food.

Pesticides Link to Parkinson’s Disease
Two studies, conducted independently have linked pesticides exposure to Parkinson’s Disease. Both studies have shown the link between the ability of pesticides to alter production of the neurotransmitter dopamine and the development of Parkinson’s Disease later in life.

Pesticides Boost Parkinson's Disease by 70 percent.
A study published Dr. Alberto Ascherio, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and his colleagues was published July issue of the Annals of Neurology found that exposure to pesticides, but not other environmental contaminants, may boost the long-term risk for developing Parkinson's disease by 70 percent.

The authors reviewed lifestyle surveys completed in both 1982 and in 2001 by over 143,000 participants in the U.S. "Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort," launched in 1982.

Their research confirms earlier animal studies linking pesticide exposure to motor function abnormalities and lower levels of the brain neurotransmitter dopamine. Declines in dopamine have long been associated with Parkinson's.

"This is the first large human study that shows that exposure to pesticide is associated with a higher incidence of Parkinson's," said Dr. Ascherio. Source: Alberto Ascherio, M.D., associate professor, nutrition and epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston; Robin Elliot, executive director, Parksinon's Disease Foundation, New York City; July, 2006 issue of the Annals of Neurology.

Dieldrin Linked to Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease
A study published in The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal has found that exposure to dieldrin in the unborn and breastfeeding mice can cause Parkinson’s Disease (PD) to develop later in life. The findings are significant because most studies aimed at determining the disease process in PD have been focused on events occurring during adulthood, not during developmental stages.

A team of Emory University researchers has found a connection in laboratory mice between developmental exposure to the pesticide dieldrin) during gestation and lactation and an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease.

"We also noted that exposure to dieldrin during critical periods of development may lead to the imprinting of genes that regulate the proper formation and maintenance of function of the dopamine system," says Jason Richardson, Ph.D., co-author and postdoctoral fellow in the Miller laboratory. "This alteration may induce a silent state of dopamine dysfunction and an increased vulnerability of dopamine neurons later in life."

"The results from this study provide a potential molecular mechanism responsible for the association between dieldrin exposure and increased risk of PD and suggests that greater attention should be focused on the role of early life exposures and the development of PD," says Dr. Miller. Source: http://www.rxpgnews.com/research/aging/parkinsons/article_4651.shtml

Pyrethroid Pesticides Pollute Streams
A study published American Chemical Society's journal Environmental Science & Technology has found that synthetic pyrethroids have accumulated in many creek sediments to levels that are toxic to important food chain species.

Synthetic pyrethroids are based on the chemistry of natural pryrethrins, however unlike the natural pesticide that is extracted from a daisy and rapidly decays; these new synthetic compounds are highly residual and toxic.

Donald P. Weston and colleagues at University of California, Berkeley have found that the levels are high enough to kill amphipods and other species that are important in the food chain for fish and higher animals.

GM Cotton Uses as Much Pesticide
Scientists from Cornell University, New York, conducted a study of 481 cotton growers in China and found that, although they did use fewer pesticides in the first few years of adopting GM plants, after seven years they had to use just as much pesticide as they did with conventional crops.

The study found that after three years, the GM farmers had cut pesticide use by 70 per cent and were earning over a third more than conventional farmers.

But, by 2004, the GM cotton farmers were using just as much pesticide as their conventional counterparts because of other pests. They were spending far more because the GM cotton seed is three times the price of conventional cotton seed.

Studies from the southern United States have found similar results with the emergence of new pests in GM cotton. Studies in India between organic and GM cotton have found that the organic crops are the most profitable for farmers. The fact that there are profitable farmers around the world growing organic cotton without pesticides and herbicides shows that there is no need for GM cotton.

Genetically Engineered Corn Producing Herbicides in the Digestive Tract
A widely cultivated variety of genetically engineered corn may be slowly poisoning American consumers. Dupont's Pioneer Liberty Link corn was bioengineered to withstand high levels of the toxic herbicide glufosinate. Enzymes in the plant actually break down the herbicide, making it less toxic to the plant, thereby allowing farmers to apply higher levels of herbicides to the plant and surrounding weeds. Scientists are now finding that enzymes in the human gut are likely to reactivate the herbicide within our bodies. A recent study on rats found that 10% of the chemicals were reconverted back to the toxic herbicide within the digestive tract of the animal. Another study on goats found a full 30% of the herbicide was rebuilt in the gut. Glufosinate is known to cause nerve damage and is a likely endocrine disruptor. Scientists are also concerned that by reactivating the toxic chemical in the digestive tract, it is likely killing off beneficial bacteria necessary for healthy digestion. http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_637.cfm

GM Devastated Hawaiian Papaya Industry
According to a May 2006 report by Greenpeace the introduction of a GM papaya has devastated the Hawaiian Papaya industry. The selling price for the papaya crashed from $1.23 per kilo to $0.89, after major buyers in Japan and Canada rejected.

Hawaiian papaya growers who sell to Japan have to pay extra for segregating and testing their papayas to make sure they are non-GM. The Japanese market shrunk from $10.3 million in 1998 to $4.6 million in 2005. Canada accepted GM papayas in 2003 however the price didn’t recover. In the 2004 and 2005 growing seasons, the selling price averaged less than 80 cents per kilo. This is uneconomic for the farmers.

The USA has an application to export these GM papayas to Australia. It is proposed that they will also be irradiated for quarantine purposes. Is this the future of food?

Herbicide Resistant Weeds Causing Problems for US Cotton Growers
A US weed scientist says that weed resistance to glyphosate herbicide, used widely on genetically modified Roundup Ready cotton and other crops, has the potential to be a major problem for US cotton farmers.

North Carolina State weed scientist Alan York said that until now, herbicide resistance has been dealt with simply by switching to an herbicide with a different mode of action. But now, he says, there are no new effective herbicides. Glyphosate-resistant horseweed has been widely reported in the Cotton Belt, and York said the University of Georgia discovery of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth has caused a much higher level of concern.

In tests at the University of Georgia, a 4X rate of glyphosate, applied three times had little negative affect on Palmer Amaranth. "If you grow cotton in the Southeast, and you have Palmer amaranth in your fields, looking at side-by-side comparisons of resistant and non-resistant pigweed should scare you to death," York says. SOURCE: Southeast Farm Press http://www.non-gmoreport.com/

GMO Grass Found Growing in Wild
Creeping bentgrass that was genetically engineered to resist the herbicide Roundup for golf courses is growing in the wild, posing one of the first threats of agricultural biotechnology escaping from the farm in the United States.

The bentgrass variety is being developed by Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. in cooperation with Monsanto. Spokesman for Scotts Miracle-Gro Co .Jim King said seed from a test plot escaped several years ago while it was drying following harvest in the Willamette Valley, home to most of the U.S. grass seed industry and the world's largest producer of commercial grass varieties. After several years of trying to eradicate it small amounts are still surviving. As this was just an accidental escape during a trial, it raises very serious questions as to what would happen if it were released commercially.

Scientists have stated that the modified grass could spread resistance to more than a dozen other plant species that could also acquire resistance to Roundup, or glyphosate

In 2003, the International Center for Technology Assessment in Washington, D.C., filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt development of genetically engineered bentgrass. Source: Associated Press August 17, 2006

GM Rice Contaminates US Food Supply
Traces of genetically modified rice have been detected in samples of commercial rice seed and may have entered the food supply in the United States.

Bayer Crop Science notified the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the contamination in July. Called LLRICE601, it was engineered for herbicide tolerance and has not undergone the USDA regulatory process for commercial release.

The contamination will have an impact on rice exports. Around 50 percent of the US rice crop is exported at a value of US $940 million. Source 2000/2006 – Decision News Media SAS

World Leaders Vote Against the Terminator and GMO Trees
Leaders of the world have made some important decisions regarding genetically engineered crops at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Eighth Conference of the Parties in Brazil. A majority of world leaders voted against the release of genetically engineered trees, referencing the possible spread of the plants into native forests. "Because there is insufficient scientific data regarding the biological impacts of transgenic trees, as well as an absence of socio-economic and cultural impact assessments, it is good scientific practice to invoke the Precautionary Principle, which is enshrined in the CBD," stated Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher of the Federation of German Scientists. "This means no release of transgenic trees into the environment whilst this research is on-going," she added. A majority of world leaders also voted to maintain the moratorium on the "Terminator" technology, wherein plants are genetically engineered to produce sterile seeds, forcing farmers to purchase seeds year after year, rather than continuing traditional practices of saving seeds with each year's harvest. The U.S. and other leading biotech nations voted in the minority for the spread of these technologies. http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/trees060324.cfm

The 2^nd OPAQ Queensland Organic Conference
Beerwah Queensland September 1&2 2006
For Conference Bookings: Robyn Cook 1300 889 177
Email: piproductions@ozemail.com.au Web site: http://www.geocities.com/opaq2001

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Workshop program Sept - Nov 2006
See www.biodynamics.net.au for details or ring 02 6655 0566

Djanbung Gardens Permaculture Education SEMESTER 2 COURSES
September 4-7th
Working with Cultural Diversity Intensive 4-day course 9-5.30
September 11-15th
Sustainable Aid & OS Development Intensive 5-day course 9-5.30
Contact: Djanbung Gardens Permaculture Education & ERDA Institute Trust
PO Box 379 Nimbin NSW 2480 Australia www.earthwise.org.au www.permaculture.com.au
PH 02-6689 1755 Mob 0429 147 138 robyn@permaculture.com.au

17th annual Queensland Landcare Conference 21 - 24 August, 2006
Bridging the Urban-Rural Divide - Premier networking event for Queensland's regions
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATIONS CLOSE THURSDAY 15 JUNE
Web www.landcare.org.au/Conference.htm
Phone 07 3211 4413 | Fax 07 3211 4407 Email kerri@landcare.com.au

1st IFOAM International Conference on Animals in Organic Production,
23-25 August 2006 in Minneapolis USA. For more information www.ifoam.org

THE POSITIVE FUTURE OF ORGANIC FOOD
Friday September 15^th in Perth Venue TBA
Enquiries and bookings for this event can be directed to Annie Dunn at Absolutely Organic retail outlet 92427711
Email to enquiries@ogawa.org.au

International Landcare Conference
Melbourne Convention Centre, Victoria, Oct 8-11
Julia McDonnell, Registration Services, Waldron Smith Management
Tel: 03 9645 6311 Fax: 03 9645 6322 E-mail: julia@wsm.com.au
http://www.internationallandcareconference2006.com.au/default.htm

Managing the Carbon Cycle
Kingaroy, QLD 25-26^th OCT 2006
Canberra, ACT 22-23^th NOV 2006
This information packed two day ‘Managing the Carbon Cycle’ Forum will showcase emerging initiatives and innovative management practices in the rapidly changing arena of carbon accounting and trading in ‘carbon credits’ and will be of enormous benefit to policy makers, research, agency and consultancy staff, landholders, landcarers, conservation farming groups, catchment management authorities, educators, students and environmentalists.

For more info: www.amazingcarbon.com

Veg Out Farmers’ Market
1st Saturday of every month 8.30am-1pm
Chaucer Street, St Kilda (just behind Acland Street and Luna Park)

Collingwood Children’s Farm Farmers’ Market
2nd Saturday every month 8.00am–1pm
St Heliers Street, Abbotsford

Gasworks Farmers’ Market
3rd Sat every month 8.30am–1pm
Graham Street, Albert Park. (cnr Pickles St)

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