www.ofa.org.au
Organic Industry Update, June 2003
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| Chairman's Report |
1. The Continuing GM Debate
Although there is now a moratorium on GM crops in the main canola growing
states, there is still the need to maintain the energy in opposing this threat
to organic agriculture.
It is interesting to reflect on the events of this week. Your Chairman has represented OFA at the last few meetings of the Eastern Zone Gene Technology Grains Committee, including sub-committee meetings, at the personal invitation of the Chairman of that Grains Committee. A further meeting of the Committee was scheduled for Melbourne on Wednesday 28 May. Since there had been no communication regarding the arrangements, agenda, etc for this meeting your Chairman phoned Avcare, who provides the Secretariat for this Grains Committee, on Tuesday 27 May. He was informed that the meeting date had been changed to Thursday 29 May, and the location was Canberra. Presumably if he had not phoned then he would not have ascertained the change in date or city in which the meeting is to be held.
You may wish to draw your own conclusions.
Your Chairman expressed his views on this issue personally to the Chairman of the Grains Committee, and pointed out that due to other commitments he was unable to attend the meeting at such short notice.
Fortunately Jonothan Banks was able to attend at short notice and represent OFA. OFA and other members of the committee did not sign off on the "final" draft of the protocols because of concerns with the text. A further report should be available for the next newsletter.
2. The Organic Industry and AQIS
On 15th May last the Australian Organic Industry met with AQIS and other government
representatives at what was formerly called the Organic Produce Exports Committee,
which is now named the Organic Industry Export Consultative Committee. This
committee has met annually, hopefully now biannually, to resolve issues regarding
the export trade in organic produce. Members of the committee include OFA and
the seven accredited certifiers.
An issue which was discussed in detail was the need for improved arrangements for Mutual Recognition between the certifiers in Australia. This is especially relevant for export trade, but is also relevant for domestic trade as well.
The importance of this issue was recognised at a meeting the previous day convened by OFA to which all the certifiers were invited, and at which some attended.
At the OPEC (now OIECC) meeting it was agreed that the OFA would endeavour to broker a Memorandum of Understanding between the certifiers on Mutual Recognition. A timetable was agreed on which could produce a result by the end of July.
At the meeting, and in subsequent correspondence to the seven certifiers, OFA stressed that any document produced would be "by the certifiers for the certifiers" (and their members/certified operators). Whilst OFA will be preparing the drafts of this MoU, such drafts will essentially consist of material provided by the certifiers.
Thus OFA is offering to provide an independent service to the industry.
3. Agricultural Pesticides and
Veterinary Medicines Authority
Also in May your Chairman attended his first meeting as a new appointee
to the Community Consultative Committee of the APVMA (formerly called the National
Registration Authority).
One of the new initiatives of this committee is to develop a procedure for the reporting and investigation of what are described as "Adverse Experiences" that "involve any human health issues, harm to animals, plants, property or the environment, or involve lack of efficacy when the product was used according to label directions". It is understood that "Adverse Experiences" can include economic loss as well as chemical and other impact.
A discussion paper is being developed, and this will be posted on the OFA website when available.
4. Class A Foam
Whilst this essentially applies to Victoria, it may also have ramifications
for other states and territories.
The Country Fire Authority of Victoria has been in contact with OFA, and
I understand the certifiers, over the past months regarding the use of Class
A Foam in the suppression of wildfires.
The CFA has been advised by AQIS that the use of such Foam on organic properties would result in the decertification of that portion of the property affected.
Further, the CFA has advised that at all times its brigades reserve the right to use this Foam when considered necessary.
The CFA has asked OFA to request its members to advise their local CFA brigade of their location and status to ensure that this Foam is only used on such properties when absolutely necessary.
Enquiries by your Chairman indicate that many non-organic farmers who are CFA brigade members are also reluctant to use Class A Foam, especially on their own properties.
5. Sydney Fine Food Fair, 9-12
September 2003-05-27
Whilst arrangement have yet to be finalised, OFA is planning to have an
Australian Organic Industry Information Stand at this event, similar to but
an improvement on the stand at Melbourne in 2002.
In due course OFA will be in touch with certifiers and operators in the industry for material for the information service.
In particular, as at the Melbourne Fair, extensive use will be made of the OFA data base Directory to provide information on Australian organic operators to enquirers. Please ensure that your entry is up to date so that we may respond to enquiries in the best possible way. Click here to see the OFA website report for how to check and update your listing.
Sid Cowling
OFA Chairman
| 'Organic Futures for Australia' - National Organic Conference Update |
We are delighted to announce that the OFA 2003 Conference dinner, the "Organic Peasant Feast", being held on Friday 3 October, is now an Associated Event of Tasting Australia. This dinner will be the culmination of the conference and will be open to anyone to attend. The food will be robust and healthy and the music healthily robust.
For more information about the Tasting Australia event visit www.tasting-australia.com.au. For more information about the dinner contact the OFA 2003 Secretariat at http://conference.ofa.org.au/contact.html
The Programme is developing well and we remind you that the deadline for Abstracts is 31 May 2003. Please contact the OFA 2003 Secretariat immediately if you have any questions regarding submissions or would like to be involved. Visit the OFA Conference web site (http://conference.ofa.org.au)for further details about conference themes and our call for presentations.
The website is currently being updated in readiness for the official ‘launch’ of the conference on 1 July, and will include full details of the Programme, Application, Tours, Functions and so forth. Early-bird applications will be available from 1 July 2003.
Sponsorship details have now been finalised. The conference will provide a wonderful opportunity to network, seek out suppliers and buyers, undertake market research, promote your operation and of course support the organic industry in general. To receive a Power Point presentation about sponsorship options please contact Cat Mills at the details below
For further information about the conference and/or sponsorship details, please complete the registration of interest form at http://conference.ofa.org.au/registration.html and return to Cat Mills of the OFA 2003 Secretariat.
OFA
2003 Secretariat
Att: Cat Mills
PO Box 768 Stirling SA 5152
Tel: (08) 8370 8455
Fax: (08) 8370 8381
Email: ofaconf@nasaa.com.au
| OFA Website |
Online Conference Discussion
As part of our development towards the second national organic conference, Organic
Futures for Australia, the themes of the conference have been listed as
topics for discussion at The
Organic Forums. The intention of this forum is to develop a central
discussion resource for the Australian organic industry. Give your thoughts
about the conference themes, and all other organic related subject matter.
Seeking Contributions
Do you have something to contribute to the OFA Organic Industry update ? This
is an industry bulletin and we would like to encourage industry contribution
to it. Product reviews, company news, industry news, event reviews, information
about upcoming events, and feature articles are all welcome. Please contact
me at webmaster@ofa.org.au
Update Your Directory Listing
The OFA directory is an important resource for the Australian community,
and world traders. A number of listings are displaying outdated or incomplete
information about the products or company. We recommend all readers whose business
is listed in the online directory or the printed directory to please check your
business listing and take steps to update the information. Please check even
if you think your business is not listed, it may well be. There are currently
around 2,000 entries.
Step 1: search
for your listing by clicking
here
Step 2: send an email to webmaster@ofa.org.au
with the updated information
Text Version of Newsletter
I am aware that some readers in rural areas may have slow internet connection
speeds. I am looking into the possibility of offering a text only version for
those who would prefer it. If a text only version would be helpful to you, please
note your interest by sending a quick email to webmaster@ofa.org.au
As always, feedback about the OFA website and Organic Industry Update is encouraged.
Dom O'Brien
Website Manager
| Report to RIRDC - OFA Activities 2002-2003 |
The following is taken from the OFA report to RIRDC on general activities up to March 03
OFA Activities 2002-2003
Progress Report 25 March 2003
The following are some of the activities which have been undertaken by OFA since the AGM last September 2002.
1. WEBSITE
The OFA website – www.ofa.org.au – continues to be updated and enhanced.
This website is a major source of information to organic producers and consumers.
It generates daily phone calls to OFA on a wide range of issues, including enquiries
from the trade and from consumers. A more detailed report follows:
Since May 2002 significant development and upgrading of the OFA website has been achieved. Following is a brief summary of the main developments, and there have been a large number of smaller 'backend' improvements such as software upgrades, which contribute to the smooth operation of the site without being necessarily apparent to site visitors.
2. MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER/UPDATE
The monthly Organic Industry Update is compiled by the OFA Webmaster and
is posted on the OFA website as well as being directly emailed free to 950 “subscribers”.
This Update contains news on all aspects of the Australian Organic Industry.
(See above item for more details).
3. SECOND
NATIONAL ORGANIC CONFERENCE – Adelaide 2-4 October 2003
This conference is being organised by OFA with some assistance from
RIRDC. The Organising Committee and sub-committees are working hard on the
arrangements for this conference. (See separate report).
4. HARMONISATION
WITHIN THE INDUSTRY
OFA has written to the certifiers suggesting a meeting on this issue in
conjunction with the next OPEC meeting. Few responses have been received to
date. See latest progress on this in the Chairman's Report in this issue.
5. EQUIVALENCE
OF IMPORTS TO NATIONAL STANDARDS
The need for a recognised mechanism to address this issue has been
discussed by the OFA Board. More discussions are needed to finalise a recommended
course of action.
6. RECOGNITION
OF ORGANIC CERTIFICATION AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS)
OFA has initiated discussions with the ACF and Victorian government
agencies as a pilot exercise to explore the achievement of the above.
7. GENETICALLY
MODIFIED CROPS AND FOODS
OFA continues to actively oppose the introduction of GMO’s into the
Australian agricultural industry. OFA has a very active GM Sub-committee and
has continued its representations at the Gene Technology Grains Committee (GTGC).
Most recently the Chairman and a Past Chairman represented OFA at a GTGC meeting
in the absence of the Chairman of the OFA GM Subcommittee
8. FUTURE
FUNDING OF OFA
The OFA Board has been discussing options for a more stable funding
procedure for the industry peak body.
9. STATE
TRADE DIRECTORIES
Some state government agencies
have approached OFA to discuss the production of organic trade directories.
This would be a development of the information on the website directory data
base, and would presumably require the canvassing of updated and more detailed
information.
10. EDUCATION
STRATEGY – PILOT EXERCISE
Following the workshop held at the Royal Agricultural Society (Melbourne)
in November 2002, OFA is considering the development of an organic education
strategy for growers considering conversion. This might be a pilot project
in one state.
11. DEVELOPING
THE ORGANIC LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY
OFA has identified the need to develop the organic livestock industry
supply chain “from paddock to plate”. Preliminary discussions have been held
with state government agencies and abattoirs.
12. VICTORIAN
ORGANIC PRODUCE RESIDUES TESTING PROGRAMME
OFA has been co-operating with the Victorian government department
conducting these tests.
13. REVIEW
OF THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT ORGANIC PROGRAMME
OFA has been discussing priorities with the departmental staff involved
with this review.
14. REPRESENTATION
AT CONFERENCES FIELD DAYS, MEETINGS, ETC
Various OFA Board members have represented OFA, manning stands and
providing information on the industry generally, at a range of events in a number
of states.
OFA Board members were involved in the regional organic conference organised by BFA at Lismore last October, and will be presenting papers at the OPAQ conference in Cairns in August 2003.
OFA is planning to be present at the Fine Food Fair in Sydney in September 2003, and at the Natural Food Fair in Sydney in June 2003.
15. CONSUMER
MEMBERSHIP
OFA is promoting Consumer Membership following the amendments to
the Constitution at the last AGM. An Official launch of Consumer Membership
of the OFA is planned at the Natural Products Expo at Darling Harbour Convention
Centre, Sydney in June 2003.
The Consumer Representative on the OFA Board is collaborating with the conference convener to reach certified organic exhibitors for the dedicated organic zone of the expo.
A marketing strategy is being drafted to support this launch, aimed at supermarkets, retail stores and certified farmers’ market stallholders.
An OFA Consumer Subcommittee was recently formed to develop initiatives including submissions for funding to support consumer growth.
16. MEDIA
STRATEGY
OFA Board members are preparing a media strategy to formalise media
contact and releases. Over the past year OFA has been quoted in a number of
articles and news items, including national press (eg The Australian), capital
city press (eg Sydney Morning Herald), magazines (eg Woman’s Day), rural press
(eg Weekly Times), regional newspapers and farmers magazines.
OFA has the mechanism and capacity to respond to requests from the media for information but needs to expand this function.
Sid Cowling
Chairman, OFA
26-3-03
| OFA Celebrates East Timor’s Independence Day With Launch Of 100% Organic Coffee Industry |
This report by Nick Andrews,
who represented OFA at the promotional function for organic East Timor Coffee
The OFA was recently invited to attend a function hosted by the New South Wales
State Government to mark the lst anniversary of Independence Day for Timor-Leste
(East Timor) and to promote organic East Timor coffee.
The function was hosted by NSW State & Regional Development and was attended by about 100 guests, including The Hon. Bob Debus, MP Attorney General & Minister for the Environment, His Excellency Mr Jorge da Conceicao Teme, Ambassador Designate to Australia, Mr. Carlos Pereira (Timorese Australia Council). Hon. Justice Marcus Einfeld, Juan Carlos Brandt (United Nations) and a host of other government and NGO officials and dignitaries.
 |
OFA’s Nick Andrews with NSW Environment Minister Mr. Bob Debus |
In his opening address, Mr Percy Butterworth (Acting Director General, State and Regional Development) outlined the NSW Government’s firm commitment to supporting the reconstruction and future development of Timor-Leste .Mr Butterworth said “Through development cooperation programs, people in NSW, together with people in other states in Australia, are helping to build a peaceful, democratic and independent East Timor.”
Mr Butterworth pointed out that NSW Government agencies have played a significant role in assisting the internationally supported reconstruction of Timor-Leste through the supply of goods and services in such areas as health, education, transport, and environment protection and conservation.
“Tonight's function provides an opportunity for us, as business, government and community representatives, to congratulate East Timor on this very significant anniversary and to pledge our ongoing support.” said Mr Butterworth, “and using this occasion to promote organic East Timor coffee is both a tangible and appropriate expression of that support.”
Coffee is the backbone of Timor-Leste's economy generating about $20 million in sales each year and representing 90% of the cash income for the 44,000 small coffee producers. East Timor organic coffee is unique in that it is one of the few coffees grown at high altitude without the use of artificial fertilizers.
In Australia, East Timor organic coffee is packaged by Universal Brands and twenty cents from each sale goes towards to the reconstruction of Timor-Leste.
A short video showing the flag raising ceremony for the independence of East Timor was then screened after which His Excellency, Mr Jorge da Conceicao Teme, the Ambassador Designate to Australia, addressed the room. The ambassador thanked the Australian people very much for their help during his country’s struggle, and especially thanked the people and government of NSW for their efforts and support during what he described as “the dark days before our country’s birth”. His speech was rapturously received by the audience who joined him in a shout of “Viva Timor!” at its conclusion.
 |
|
The Hon. Bob Debus, NSW Attorney General and Minister for the Environment then spoke and told of his long association with the Timorese efforts dating back to his days as a journalist and giving the audience some very informative anecdotes of his many travels in the region. His speech outlined in very warm and human terms the struggle of the East Timorese people in gaining their independence and he joined the whole room in congratulating the Ambassador and his people on the 1st Anniversary of their country’s independence. Mt Debus had obviously been closely involved in the East Timorese independence movement and his comments reflected Australia’s close ties with the newest nation on earth and reinforced our strong commitment to reconstruction of Timor-Leste.
A performance by the East Timor Cultural group followed and was warmly receive by the audience, after which refreshments were served and many friends, supporters and co-workers got the chance to meet and congratulate the Ambassador on his country’s 1st anniversary and on the successful launch of the new brand of 100% organic coffee now on sale throughout Australia.
The East Timor organic coffee is 100% organic and produces a remarkably smooth and delicious tasting brew. The three bodies responsible for the coffee are “Timor Corp.” who grow and source the coffee beans, “The Bean Alliance” who roast and grind the coffee and “Universal Brands” who market the product. The bean growing is certified by NASSA and the manufacturing process is certified by BFA. The coffee is now in over 470 Coles Supermarkets throughout Australia and 20 cents of each purchase price goes directly to the rebuilding of Timor-Leste. It is available in two types, “Arabica” and “Espresso” and tastes wonderful!
| Rescheduling of Complementary Healthcare Expo Due To PAN Recall |
A letter from the event manager to
sponsors of the Complementary Healthcare Expo
6th May
Dear Sponsor,
As you are aware, the recall of Pan Pharmaceuticals products has caused considerable anxiety for all of us who care passionately about the complementary healthcare industry.
The whole industry is hurt by the negative comments which have sought to paint all natural healthcare products as somehow tainted by the actions of one manufacturer.
We also know that consumers are confused by the continued speculation regarding the safety of different products, and the ongoing revision of lists of recalled products.
It is in this environment that we have decided to reschedule the Complementary Healthcare Expo from June to 7 to 9 November 2003.
We believe that this will give manufacturers, suppliers, practitioners and retailers who have been affected by the recall time to deal with the issue.
We also feel that this will give time for controversy and misinformation to be countered so that consumers are again feeling fully confident in the natural healthcare products they purchase. This will be a good opportunity to rebuild consumer confidence.
We hope that all sponsors will see this as an excellent opportunity to join with the industry in presenting a united, positive face to the Australian consumer as we look to the future as a vibrant, essential component of the healthcare system.
Please note that all monies received will be held over until the November dates and on behalf of the CHC. I sincerely thank you for your continued support.
You will be contacted in the near future but in the meantime if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind Regards
Vee Johnson
Event Manager
Natural HealthCare Expo 2003
PO Box 481,
St Albans MDC 3021
Tel: 03 9364 5003 Fax: 03 9364 5041
Mob: 0422 399 818
Email: NHE@chc.org.au
Web: www.nhe.org.au
| Drought
Assistance Deadline |
Interim Federal drought assistance applications close on the 10th of June: The Commonwealth Government's one-off additional drought assistance package is ending on Tuesday 10 June. This deadline applies to all farmers in NSW and those farmers in areas in other States which experienced a one-in-20-year rainfall deficiency from March 2002 to November 2002. Producers in prima facie Exceptional Circumstances (EC) declared regions should also contact Centrelink before 10 June, as different closing dates for applications for interim income support apply to prima facie areas in South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia.
The deadline for farmers to apply for interest rate relief on new and additional loans of up to $100,000 is 10th June in all areas, as this assistance has been offered as part of the one-off drought assistance package.
To apply for six months of interim income support and two years of interest rate relief on new and additional loans of up to $100,000 call the Centrelink Drought Assistance line 13 23 16 (8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or visit www.centrelink.gov.au
Applications for interim Federal drought assistance must be lodged by close of business Tuesday 10 June.
Further information on EC and prima
facie EC areas is available from the AFFA Drought Assistance website at
www.affa.gov.au/droughtassist
Sonia Muir
Coordinator, Rural Women's Network, NSW Agriculture
Locked Bag 21, ORANGE, NSW 2800, Australia
Phone: 61 2 6391 3611 Fax: 61 2 6391 3650 email:
sonia.muir@agric.nsw.gov.au
| Seeking Disease Control Products For Use In The Australian Organics Horticultural Industry |
NSW Agriculture is investigating alternatives to copper-based fungicides for use in organic farming systems and is calling for companies and individuals to come forward with information on alternative products that can control plant diseases.
Dr Lukas Van Zwieten (Research Scientist based at Wollongbar Agricultural Institute) heads up the project which aims to conduct a thorough review of literature on existing technologies that may replace or complement copper for disease control. The end product will include an inventory of products available to the Australian Organics Industry.
Copper has been used for centuries around the world to reduce pests and diseases. Its use in both conventional and organic agriculture has lead to copper accumulation in the soil, which has a detrimental effect on soil fauna (including bacteria, fungi and earthworms). A diverse, abundant soil fauna has been shown to outcompete and exclude pathogenic organisms in many trials around the world. Measures should be taken to protect organisms that compete with pathogens.
“Both in Australia and internationally, the use of copper-based fungicides are subject to restrictions in organic agriculture,” Dr Van Zwieten said. “This limits organic farmers’ ability to deal with crop diseases, especially when disease pressure is high.”
Mr Gordon Stovold (Plant Pathologist, Centre for Tropical Horticulture, Alstonville) will provide valuable expertise to the project through his knowledge and experience in disease control. “The consequences of restricted copper usage could be devastating to the Australian Organics Industry” Mr Stovold said. “Organic producers urgently require alternatives to be identified, and ultimately scientifically-evaluated.”
The project team is keen to investigate natural products such as molasses which “feed” the friendly micro-organisms and may control some fungal diseases. Other strategies include the use of compost and compost teas, vermiculture products and microbial innoculants. “These commercially available products that increase soil organisms and protect crops from pathogens have been marketed to the organic industry,” Dr Van Zwieten said. “These products may or may not have undergone independent, rigorous scientific evaluation, making it difficult for farmers to judge the “worth” of the products. However, the reason why some products are successful has not been satisfactorily identified and as such further research may provide improvements in their efficiencies.”
Organic growers should benefit greatly from this project through the identification of alternative disease control measures. Benefits from this project could flow onto conventional agriculture due to the identification of economic, social and environmental alternatives which meet the current worldwide demand for a reduction in chemical use in agriculture.
The project is co-funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC). Dr Melissa Van Zwieten (plant pathologist) has been engaged to assist in collecting information regarding copper-alternative products. She will develop a list of alternative products available to the Australian organic farming industry. Data on the efficacy of identified products and an evaluation of current literature will provide recommendations for future work in this area.
The call for Expressions of Interest to provide information on copper alternative products is going out nationally through the media, industry journals and industry organisations.
Companies or individuals with information
should contact Dr Melissa Van Zwieten (Phone: 6626 1126; Fax: 6628 3264; Email:
melissa.van.zwieten@agric.nsw.gov.au)
so their copper alternative product can be included in the review.
| Pesticide Found in Conventionally Grown Teas |
The Organic Newsline,13th May, 2003
Choice magazine tested 55 widely available brands of tea for more than 100 pesticides, finding traces in nearly 40 per cent, including seven out of 17 green teas, eight out of 20 black teas and six out of 18 herbal infusions.
"Happily, all the teas that claim to be organic got the all-clear," said Choice.
Seven brands of tea contained a pesticide, cypermethrin, above the maximum residue limit (MRL) while another three had more than 20 times the MRL for cypermethrin. Tests also revealed traces of another 17 pesticides for which there are no MRLs in the food regulations.
"Mostly, the absence of an MRL doesn't mean the pesticide has been banned in this country, just that it's not used in Australia on tea grown here and so no producer or manufacturer has applied to have it registered," the magazine said. "Given that many teas are fully imported, this seems to be a big hole in regulation.
Choice concluded: "Expert opinion
is that even the teas with the most pesticides should still be safe to drink."
| IFOAM World Board Approves A New Mission Statement |
From the IFOAM newsletter, IFOAM
Insider
May 6, 2003
IFOAM's new mission statement - “IFOAM’s mission is Leading, Uniting and Assisting the organic movement in its full diversity. Our goal is the worldwide adoption of ecologically, socially and economically sound systems that are based on the principles of Organic Agriculture.”
The last week of March the world board spent a reasonable time in Santa Clara, Cuba to finalize the revision of the IFOAM mission statement (result as above). In addition to this milestone achievement the world board defined the recruitment procedure and recruitment team for the CEO (Chief Executive Officer - title to be changed) selection, which is supposed to result in hiring a CEO mid 2004. Three world board members, one staff representative and one Executive from an IFOAM member will build the recruitment team. The final decision will be with the complete world board
The world board discussed intensively the membership categories based on the organizational set up and the activities of the member organisations. More data about the existing members will be gathered until the world board will meet next in autumn in order to consider specific campaigns for expanding membership but also to explore opportunities to offers specific services for specific member categories.
The Nomination procedure for world board members and the establishment of an IFOAM Organic Service Centre in Africa were other mayor items the world board worked on. See as one outcome of this process is the call for the coordinator for the Africa office at www.ifoam.org. A more detailed report will be published in the upcoming edition of IFOAM in Action.
Last but not least the world board met with the IOAS Board, the IOAS Accreditation Committee and with representatives of the Norms Management Committee (NMC) to reflect on the achievements of the IFOAM Organic Guarantee System and to define a vision for how to proceed. This 1,5 day meeting was facilitated by an Ex-IFOAM Board member and resulted in a common understanding about what the joint vision is. Every single word counts! At the end there was consensus among all participants that the joint visioning and strategizing should be continued.
IFOAM and everyone involved in the organic and ecological movements must recognize and embrace the ever-increasing responsibilities entailed in ushering and successfully guiding the rapid growth of Organic Agriculture worldwide.
Rest assured that the IFOAM staff and everyone involved in IFOAM structures is working diligently on your behalf out of a sheer passion for the goodness of humanity. We will do our best to be more informative about our activities, and count on you, the members, to participate in IFOAM and make it your own.
The Worldwide Adoption of the Principles of Organic Agriculture (WAPOA) is achievable, and together we can turn the tide to make it a reality!
| 2003 WA Organic And Biodynamic Conference |
As the countdown continues, the Organic Growers Association (WA) would like to announce the following additional sponsors
Gold sponsorship has been awarded
to:
- Custom Composts
Silver Sponsorship has been awarded to:SILVER SPONSORSHIP HAS BEEN AWARDED TO:
- United Crates / Q-SAFEWe will be enjoying the company of Vince Garreffa of Mondo Butchers and Gabrielle Kervella of Demeter Certified Cheeses at the Conference Dinner as they inspire, entertain, and share stories of their experiences.
There are only 14 exhibition display places left. If you would like to register you interest in participating in the exhibition please contact Colleen Yates at Green Skills (08)9336-1033
The conference will be held from June 6th with regional tours June 7th. Visit the web page at www.greenskills.green.net.au
| New Course In Eco Innovation And Sustainable Development |
To be held July 2-4, 2003 - University of Canberra, ACT
This short course presents new systems design concepts and methods for restoring human and environmental health and productivity, while improving the economy - turning development from a problem into a solution. As it focuses on fundamentals, it is suitable for any graduate interested in sustainable development. The course is subsumable into an award course (GradCert, GradDip, or Masters) in Sustainable Systems, subject to meeting the University of Canberra's admission requirements.
The convener, Dr Janis Birkeland, has held senior positions in urban design, land use planning, architecture and environmental education. Notable guest speakers.
More info: janis.birkeland@canberra.edu.au
| ORGAA Certification WA |
WA Organic Industry Update - May
Edition, 2003
During April NASAA held a relaunch of the ORGAA trading scheme in Perth. This event recognised current certified businesses and provided information for businesses interested in becoming certified. The scheme covers retail outlets, cafes and restaurants. For more information contact Mark Ucich (08) 97312134 or email twodams@geo.net.au Mark is also available to answer any questions regarding NASAA certification.
| Organic Farms Contaminated by Transgenic Organisms |
From the Environment News Centre - http://ens-news.com/ens/may2003/2003-05-15-09.asp#anchor1
SANTA CRUZ, California, May 15, 2003 (ENS) - Certified organic farmers have reported the first direct financial and operational impacts associated with the threat of contamination by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in a nationwide survey conducted by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF). One-third of the survey respondents rated the risk of exposure and possible contamination of their organic farm products by GMOs as high or very high.
National standards for organic products, implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last year, exclude recombinant DNA technologies from use in organic farming. There are also a variety of strict tolerances for GMO contamination imposed on organic growers by foreign and domestic buyers.
"In 1998, when OFRF conducted our previous survey, GMO contamination was not yet a national issue," said OFRF executive director Bob Scowcroft. "These new survey results based on the 2001 crop year document that significant impacts have begun to occur within a very short time frame. If this trend continues, what we're seeing now will prove to be just the tip of the iceberg."
According to OFRF president Ron Rosmann, a diversified organic farmer from Harlan, Iowa, "This new data supports OFRF's call for a moratorium on the release of GMOs until there is a solid regulatory framework that prevents genetic pollution and assigns liability for the damages imposed by GMO contamination."
The OFRF survey found that 17 percent of survey respondents have had GMO testing conducted on some portion of their organic farm seed, inputs or farm products. Eleven percent of those who had GMO testing said that they received positive test results for GMO contamination.
Eight percent of respondents indicated that their organic farm operation has borne some direct costs or damages related to the presence of GMOs in agriculture.
They may have had to pay for testing seed, inputs, or organic farm products for GMO contamination. They may have lost organic sales or markets due to actual contamination or perceived contamination risk. They have lost sales due to the presence of GMOS in organic products, and several respondents have lost organic certification due to presence of GMOs in organic products.
Forty-eight percent of those surveyed said they have taken some measures to protect their organic farms from GMO contamination. The greatest percentage, 24 percent, indicated that they have communicated with neighboring farmers about GMO risks to their farm.
Others have increased the size of buffer zones to neighboring farms, discontinued use of certain inputs at risk for GMO contamination, adjusted timing of crop planting, altered cropping patterns or crops produced, or changed cropping locations.
Only 10 percent of survey respondents believe that a regulatory framework is in place to adequately protect their organic farm products from damages due to contamination from GMOs.
The OFRF survey results will be released this week at the Organic Trade Association's All Things Organic Conference and Trade Show in Austin, Texas. The complete results of OFRF's 4th National Organic Farmers' Survey: Sustaining Organic Farms in a Changing Organic Marketplace will be published in fall 2003.
| Environmental Risk Assessment Of Transgene Products Using Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Larvae |
Abstract
An environmental concern regarding the cultivation of transgenic crop plants
is their effect on non-target organisms. Honey bees are obvious non-target arthropods
to be included in a risk assessment procedure but due to their complex social
behaviour, testing transgene products on individual bees is not possible in
bee colonies. We employed a laboratory larval rearing technique to test the
impacts of such transgene products on honey bees. A serine proteinase inhibitor
( Kunitz Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor, SBTI), that is a source of insect resistance
in transgenic plants, was used as a model insecticidal protein on honey bee
larvae reared individually in the laboratory. The addition of 1.0% SBTI (w:w
of total protein) to the larval diet created significant additional larval mortality,
slowed juvenile development and significantly decreased adult body mass. Our
results suggest that the larval rearing technique can be used to monitor direct
side-effects of transgene products on individual honey bee larvae. [References:
39]
Brodsgaard HF. Brodsgaard CJ.
Hansen H. Lovei GL
Source: Apidologie. 34(2):139-145, 2003 Mar-Apr.
| Submission To OGTR Regarding Bayer's Application for Commercial Release of GM Canola |
Geneethics Australia has made this submission to the Office of Gene Technology Regulator on the Risk Assessment and Management Plan for DIR 021, Bayer's application for unrestricted commercial release of glufosinate ammonium herbicide tolerant canola
This is an important document and we encourage you to look through it at the OFA website. Click here to see the document. Following is a summary of the contents of the document
Submission prepared by Bob Phelps
and Adam Slattery for the GeneEthics Network Floor 1, 60 Leicester St Carlton
Vic 3053 Email: info@geneethics.org
Application DIR 021 lodged by Bayer CropScience proposes the unrestricted commercial
release of seven varieties of genetically engineered (GE) glufosinate ammonium
herbicide tolerant canola throughout Australia. The Office of the Gene Technology
Regulator's (OGTR) letter to all 693 local councils, dated September 19 2002,
confirms that as many as 580 may be affected by the proposed dealings which
you note will be conducted with only minimal conditions.
INTRODUCTION
For the reasons set out in this submission, the OGTR should reject application
DIR 021/2002 by Bayer CropSciences Pty LTD and publish a full report on the
decision.
WHY BAYER'S
APPLICATION SHOULD BE REJECTED
1. OGTR ignores advice
2. Evidence not independent
3. Incomplete regulatory system
4. Biosafety Protocol
5. No trial licences
6. Chemicals
7. GE canola and its impacts on rare plants
8. Management plan problems
9. Bayer Cropscience is unsuitable to hold a licence
CASES SHOW
BAYER CROPSCIENCE IS UNSUITABLE TO BE LICENCED
1.0 Australian Breaches
2.0 Bayer's relevant convictions
3.0 Breach of regulations
4.0 Other relevant misbehaviour
CONCLUSIONS
| Halt GE Canola: Consensus Achieved |
May 8, 2003
A national consensus was established today, that GE canola releases are unacceptable, at least this year.
"GeneEthics welcomes the Victorian
Government's decision to ban GE canola for one year but we also urge them to
adopt the three to five year freeze in place in NSW, SA, WA and Tasmania,"
says Gene Ethics Director, Bob Phelps, who is a member of the OFA GM sub-committee.
"Whether Victoria stays GE-free, or sacrifices its favoured GE-free status forever is the core issue to be addressed over the next 12 months," he says.
"The Bracks government must develop open, participatory processes that take all Victorians into its confidence, when deciding GE issues," he says.
"Their promise to explore marketing, supply chain and farm management issues is good, but an orderly public process is essential so everyone has a say," he says.
"The process should also clarify legal, social and liability issues for farmers and food buyers," he says.
"The Minister has ruled out commercial releases and we urge the government to also prohibit any expansion of licenced trials, which would allow the companies to continue business as usual," he says.
"We oppose the Office of Gene Technology Regulator's intention to grant a licence for the unrestricted commercial release of GE canola in June," he says.
"Once Bayer has a commercial licence, ad hoc agreements between governments and companies not to grow GE canola this year may be unenforceable," he says.
"The national system for regulating GE crops is not fair or rational, with decisions on markets and farmer's rights left to ad hoc agreements," he says.
"We call for an urgent review of the Gene Technology Act so that the welfare of Australians is not sacrificed to the ambitions of transnational agrichemical giants," Mr Phelps concludes.
Comment: Bob Phelps 03 9347 4500/03 9830 1592 Scott Kinnear 0419 881 729
| Victoria - No Commercial GM Canola This Year |
From the Minister for Agriculture - Thursday 8 May, 2003
Commercial production of Genetically Modified Canola is being put on hold this season, with an agreed one-year moratorium, the Bracks Government announced today.
The Agriculture Minister, Mr Bob Cameron, said the moratorium was needed to allow a detailed study of its impact on Victorian export markets.
"This decision is the next step in our careful and cautious approach to addressing marketing issues relating to GM Canola," Mr Cameron said.
"A full market impact assessment for Victorian produce will be done before the 2004 season commences.
"There have been concerns about the impact of the commercialisation of GM Canola on Victorian export markets. These issues need to be satisfactorily resolved before we can confidently move forward."
In March this year, the independent Office of the Gene Technology Regulator issued preliminary advice that GM crops posed no risk to health, safety, or the environment. The final ruling is expected in June.
Mr Cameron said the moratorium, agreed to by gene technology companies, meant there would be no commercial planting of GM Canola even if the Gene Technology Regulator issues a general licence.
The Federal Regulator does not have the scope to consider or make a ruling on the market impact of commercial planting.
Mr Cameron said the Bracks Government wanted to resolve these issues for Victorian producers to ensure any future move to GM crops would not compromise markets.
"The Regulator's preliminary ruling is that the canola varieties proposed for Victoria meet all health and environmental requirements. However, the Victorian Government also has a responsibility to ensure our export markets are protected," he said.
"For example, both the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) and the Australian Barley Board (ABB) have set out their view that the commercial growing of GM Canola may have an impact on their markets.
"A season's pause will help determine and clarify whether there are significant market impacts."
Kym Carter
Premier's Media Unit
Tel: +613 9651 5799
Fax: +613 9651 6266
Mobile: 0419 294 049
Email: kym.carter@minstaff.vic.gov.au
| Supreme Court Of Canada Agrees To Hear The Case Of Percy Schmeiser |
News Update From The 'Campaign
to Label Genetically Engineered Foods'.
The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear the case of Percy Schmeiser, the Canadian canola farmer who was sued by Monsanto.
You can watch a free 26-minute video that features Percy Schmeiser telling his story on The Campaign's web site at: http://www.thecampaign.org/videohb.php
The video, called "Heartbreak in the Heartland," can also be purchased at The Campaign's web site for the low price of $7.50, including shipping. Active Members in The Campaign receive 20 percent off, lowering the price to just $6.00 each.
The Campaign congratulates Percy Schmeiser on this important development in his ongoing battle with Monsanto.
If you would like to read the transcript of the judgment against Percy that he is appealing, you can read it at: http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fct/2001/2001fct256.html
You can visit Percy Schmeiser's web site at: http://www.percyschmeiser.com
Craig Winters
Executive Director
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
The Campaign
PO Box 55699
Seattle, WA 98155
Tel: 425-771-4049
Fax: 603-825-5841
E-mail: label@thecampaign.org
Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org
Mission Statement: "To create a national grassroots consumer campaign for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the United States."
| Action Alert : Email The Carr Government On GE Ban |
From the Geneethics Network
Hello supporters of the campaign against GE!
NSW is close to a 3 year moratorium on GE crops in NSW. The Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Ian Macdonald, has promised that the moratorium will be in place BEFORE the Gene Technology Regulator hands down her decision to approve Bayer's GE canola, sometime in June.
* Ian Macdonald's email is: anita.gylseth@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Fax: 9228 3452
* Bob Carr email at bob.carr@www.nsw.gov.au
Fax: 9228 3935
PLEASE write a short note to the Premier, Bob Carr, and the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Ian Macdonald. Ask for:
* A BAN ON OPEN GE FIELD CROP TRIALS TO BE INCLUDED in the 3 year moratorium on GE promised by the Carr government; to make the legislation truly effective and to honour one of Labor's key environmental election promises.
The legislation, as presently planned,
will EXCLUDE GE field crop trials. This is unacceptable as cross-pollination
of non-GE crops and related species is inevitable. Crops contaminated with GE
seed will not be
segregated at the silo, risking our GE-free export markets.
Field crop trials are a backdoor route to growing GE crops in NSW. Research into GE should be confined to the laboratory, hothouses and other indoor sites, under strict guidelines and penalties for release of GE organisms into the environment.
Please write ASAP as a draft of the moratorium bill will be issued soon.
Thank you for your help - it could make all the difference!
Cheers
Vicki Brooke
Campaigner against GE
Geneethics Sydney
Email: vbrooke@ozemail.com.au
A faxable petition is also available
from:
Bob Phelps
Executive Director
GeneEthics Network
Level 1, 60 Leicester St, Carlton 3053 Australia
Tel: 03 9347 4500 {Int Code 613} or 1300 133868
email: info@geneethics.org (Bob Phelps)
WWW: http://www.geneethics.org
| Trials Of GE Food Crops In NSW "Commercialisation By Stealth" |
8 May, 2003
Greens MLC Ian Cohen has branded trials of genetically engineered (GE) canola as "commercialisation by stealth" and called on the NSW Government to follow today's announced moratorium in Victoria and ensure contamination of organic food crops cannot occur.
"The Premier has promised a three year moratorium in NSW and that is a welcome step, but he has not ruled out, particularly large scale, trials of GE food crops which the NSW Farmers Association has recently said it would support.
"NSW Farmers Association proposes 5000 hectare trials of GE canola, each year over the next three years - this is simply commercialisation of GE food crops in another name."
Mr Cohen said Victoria's decision today, mirroring all other canola-growing states, is a clear acknowledgment of the risks associated with GE food crops.
"It also sends a clear message that the federal regulatory system has failed and needs to be urgently reviewed in order to protect the interests Australian agriculture and the wider community.
"Timing is now critical for NSW, as the promised three-year moratorium must be in place before the Gene Technology Regulator hands down her decision in late May," Mr Cohen said.
The Commonwealth Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has signaled its intention to approve an application by Bayer CropScience to plant herbicide-resistant canola on May 26.
Mr Cohen today called on the NSW
Minister for Agriculture Ian MacDonald to include all open-air field crop trials,
regardless of size, in the three-year moratorium as the potential for contamination
of non-GE crops and
related species is extremely high.
Mr Cohen said without a blanket ban, farmers would have no guarantee that trials of GE food crops will not contaminate natural and organic crops ear marked for export to the European Union and Japan.
Further information: Paul Sheridan, ph: 0410 516 656.
| Moment Of Truth: United States to File WTO Complaint Over EU Moratorium Of GMOs |
From Friends of the Earth International
May 13, 2003 Washington (US) / Brussels (Belgium)
The United States administration
is to bring a case in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the European
Union over Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), according to media reports
today [1]. The US case may be joined by Argentina and Canada, large-scale GMO
producers, and by Egypt, hoping for a
US free trade deal later this year.
The US will argue that the current European Union (EU) moratorium on the commercial development of GM foods is an "illegal" trade barrier under WTO rules. But environment pressure group Friends of the Earth International is warning the move is the latest in a series of attempts by the US to block other countries' decisions to protect their environment, human health and social standards.
The move threatens to bring the full force of WTO sanctions to bear in order to force GM food into European markets regardless of the wishes of European consumers. The US is likely to attempt to prevent any effective labeling of food derived from GM ingredients.
US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick
has threatened a WTO case over GM on several occasions, most recently in January
this year, but is believed to have been told by the White House to back off
during attempts to
secure European support for the invasion of Iraq. The US Administration has
been lobbied heavily by GM companies such as Monsanto (MON) and by big US farming
interests such as the National Corn Growers Association.
WTO procedures are complex and secretive,
and have been heavily criticised by environmentalists and others for their pro-business
bias. In particular, WTO rules are hostile to the fundamental precautionary
principle. [A
full Friends of the Earth briefing on the WTO disputes procedure is available
from the Friends of the Earth London press office: + 44-20 7566 1649].
"This may be the moment of truth
for the future of GM food in Europe, and future trade relations between the
European Union and United States," according to Larry Bohlen of Friends
of the Earth in Washington. "It is
clear that this US Administration, backed by some of the richest and most powerful
lobbyists in US politics, is determined to use the secretive, biased and undemocratic
procedures of the WTO to bully people into accepting food they do not want,"
Bohlen added.
Juan Lopez of Friends of the Earth
in Brussels added : "If this attempt succeeds, the US will force GM foods
onto European markets regardless of the wishes of consumers. The European Commission
and national
governments must find the courage to stand up to this outrageous piece of bullying.
Decisions over the future of GM crops in Europe must not be made in the George
Bush White House."
| Horticultural Sector Report - Food Irradiation and Horticulture |
By Horticulture Representative, Andre Leu
The Australian horticultural industry is facing one of its greatest survival threats. Food irradiation. This is an issue as important as GMOs and has a series of implications for organic horticulture.
In August 1999 the Australian and New Zealand Health Ministers agreed to the irradiation of food on a case-by-case basis. This was done without any public consultation or debate. It looks like horticulture has been chosen as the guinea pig on the basis of using irradiation to overcome quarantine restrictions of pests and diseases.
On September 13, 2001 Australia's first ever food irradiation application was approved. This was for herbs, spices and herbal infusions. At the same time the Commonwealth Government approved the proposed Narangba cobalt-60 nuclear irradiation facility, near Brisbane, for treating food.
On March 4th 2003 Food Standards Australia New Zealand, after an application by Surebeam Australia, approved irradiation for selected tropical fruits. This was done without consulting grower organisations on the full implications.
When Surebeam stated that they were applying to have the laws changed to permit fruit to be irradiated they never explained to growers that the application would apply to fruit imported into Australia. Page 11 of the ANZFA assessment report on Surebeam Australia’s application states: ‘Amending the food standards code to allow the use of irradiated tropical fruits may significantly affect trade ie… increase market opportunities for overseas growers’.
Comments on technical details of the application closed on August 7 2002 and no grower representatives were on the panel that made the decisions. We did not have the full facts and were excluded from the process where we could have made decisions based on these facts.
Now that the process has been approved, it will be very simple to add new fruits such as Bananas, Citrus, Stone, Pome and other fruits. Surebeam stated in New Zealand Herald on 23-02-2002 that they intend to irradiate New Zealand apples and kiwifruit for export to Australia
Fair Trade – Not Free Trade
Australian governments of all persuasions have been pushing the agenda of
free trade since the 1980s. The export trade is very important for Australian
horticultural industries, including the organic industry, due to producing more
food than Australian consumers can purchase.
However unregulated free trade carries severe environmental, social and financial burdens. It favours those countries that have the lowest wages, worst working conditions and increasingly degraded environmental conditions over countries with fair wages and conditions and production systems with minimal environmental footprints. It causes these farmers to go out of business, causing a loss of jobs and income in their communities. An example of this was the decline of the Australian orange industry due to the import of cheap Brazilian orange concentrate. We are currently seeing similar pressure with the decline of the canned fruit industry in the Murray and Goulburn River valleys due to cheap imports.
We need to support the model of Fair Trade being advocated by the Soil Society in the UK. We import the products we do not produce and we export products to countries that do not have them. This can be due to differences in climate, ie tropical fruits to North America, alternate seasons, ie our summer fruits go to Europe in their winter, or to help overcome production shortages in the importing country, ie Australian organic sugar going to Japan.
Irradiation is being promoted as the free market’s dream process of overcoming the quarantine regulations that are seen as ‘trade restrictions’ to unfetted free trade in fruit and vegetables. Surebeam is currently persuading government and businesses around the world to purchase their irradiation plants on the promise of exports to high value markets like the USA and Australia.
Irradiation plants are currently proposed in Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand so that they can export tropical fruits. All of these countries have applications to export fruits to Australia. Guatemala, Mexico and Brazil intend to build a network of irradiation facilities for meat, fruits and vegetables.
Due to chemical manipulation, the Thais produce Longans, Mangos, Rambutans, Mangosteens, Papayas and other tropical fruits all year in very large quantities. These irradiated Thai fruits will compete with Queensland, Northern Territory, Northern NSW, and Western Australian fruits on our domestic market.
The Australian fruit industry is a labour intensive industry. The hourly cost of wages, along with add on costs such as workers compensation, superannuation, work place health and safety compliance, food safety, etc mean that Australia has some of the highest wage production costs of any fruit producing country in the world. This results in some of the highest production costs in the world.
Many Australian horticultural enterprises will not be able to compete on the domestic market against cheap fruits from low wage countries. This will result in the closure of farms and the loss of jobs and the service industries that rely on these farms. Irradiation as a food trade protocol will devastate many of our Australian fruit industries and the rural and regional communities that depend on them.
This decision has several implications for organic growers. The importing of cheaper fruits and vegetables from Asia, Africa and Latin America will mean lower prices. Organic products are sold at a premium over conventional products however a lowering of the base price results in a lower premium price. Very high premiums result in smaller quantities sold. The dedicated organic consumer is more concerned about quality rather than price, however they are now a minority. Research shows that the majority of people who purchase organic products, purchase conventional products as well. Price can be a significant issue and they will not buy an organic item if its premium is significantly higher than the conventional item.
The main losers will be conventional farmers, many of whom will not be able to compete with the cheaper imports. I believe that organic farmers will survive due to many consumers wanting to avoid irradiated food.
Compulsory Irradiation?
A major concern seems to be an agenda to force growers to use irradiation
to get access to markets. California has forced organic farms, from areas where
Mexican Fruit Fly has been detected, to irradiate all of the fruit they sell.
According Carol Ness of The San Francisco Chronicle, MARCH 12, 2003.
‘To keep the flies from spreading, federal and state agricultural authorities imposed a 130-square-mile quarantine and authorized the first irradiation of produce grown in the continental United States. No produce can be moved out of the quarantine zone unless treated to kill any flies and larvae -- and according to state agricultural officials, irradiation is the only option.
‘Inside the quarantine zone, … growers face a choice: Irradiate, or lose the crop as months of spraying and baiting are done to wipe out any fruit flies.…The quarantine area is home to hundreds of small growers, many of them organic. Irradiation means the produce can't be sold as organic...’
Health Issues
Organic standards around the world do not permit food to be treated with
ionising radiation. This is based in part on peer reviewed science showing that
it causes a range of harmful effects.
According to Dr. Samuel Epstein. Professor Emeritus Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition: ‘As well documented since the 1960s, these massive doses of ionizing radiation produce profound chemical changes in meat. These include elevated levels of the carcinogenic chemical benzene, and also the production of unique new chemicals, known as radiolytic products, some of which have been implicated as carcinogenic.
‘Additionally, irradiated food has been shown to induce genetic damage in a wide range of studies, including tests on malnourished children by India's National Institute of Nutrition.
‘Of particular concern in this regard, are a group of readily detectable unique chemicals known as cyclobutanones which have recently been shown to cause chromosomal damage in intestinal cells of rats and humans.’
The proponents of food irradiation state that regulatory authorities have approved it for food because studies show that it is safe. Professor Epstein states that they have ignored most of the scientific studies and only used a few out of date studies to make their case for safety.
‘The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have ignored the strong evidence on the cancer and genetic risks of irradiated food. Instead, they have relied on a group of five studies, selected from a total of over 400 studies prior to 1980, on which their current claims of safety are based.
‘The FDA has persisted in these claims even though its own expert Irradiated Food Committee warned that the tests are grossly flawed and inadequate. Furthermore, as admitted by USDA's Agricultural Research Service, irradiation results in major losses of vitamins, particularly A, C, E and the B complex. These losses are substantially increased by cooking, resulting in empty calorie food, a concern of major importance for the malnourished.’
Irradiated mail
Recent information is showing that you do not have to eat irradiated food
to become ill from irradiated products. After September 11 and the Anthrax scare,
the US postal service started irradiating all mail coming into Congress. Because
so many of the office workers handling the irradiated mail become ill, the US
government started an official inquiry.
The report by the General Counsel of the Office of Compliance in the USA stated
‘The General Counsel has concluded that handling irradiated mail for substantial periods of time may be the cause, or a contributing cause, of adverse health symptoms reported by a significant number of Legislative Branch employees.’
This raises serious health issues about other products, especially women’s sanitary items such as pads and tampons that are sterilised by ionising radiation.
What do we do?
At this stage irradiated food will have to be labeled, saying that it is
treated with ionising radiation. However there is pressure to change this to
the American system of microscopic print saying ‘Electronically Pasteurized’
It is important for us to differentiate organic products and to let consumers know that they are healthier. We also need to counter the industry and regulatory authorities' claims that irradiated food is safe by publicising the scientific information of the potential health dangers associated with eating food treated with ionising radiation. We need to brand them as Nuked Foods.
The public has to be continuously informed that organic products have no toxic chemicals, no GMO's, no irradiation and are environmentally and socially sustainable. It is an opportunity for us to explain why it is worth paying more for our higher quality products.
Hopefully the general public will avoid Nuked Foods and turn these dangerous production systems into financial losses for their transnational corporations
| Pureharvest Wins Gold For Best UHT Milk In Australia |
 |
Organic Valley’s Gold Medal winning Full Cream UHT Dairy Milk is also available in Low Fat. Both milks are also available in a fresh (chilled) variety |
Pureharvest, the natural food company, has won the dairy industry gold medal for the best UHT/ Long Life non flavoured milk.
This prestigious award was presented at the recently held annual Dairy Industry Association of Australia awards Ceremony last week.
The gold medal was awarded for its full cream organic dairy milk sold under the Organic Valley brand.
Organic Valley organic dairy milk is sold in supermarkets, health food outlets and selected distributors.
Organic valley full cream milk is made without the use of pesticides, genetically modified organisms, hormones or harmful chemicals.
Managing director Don Lazzaro said. "This win confirms our belief in organic products, that they are not only better for you, but taste better as well".
| Prema Organics Public Listing |
From the Organic Newsline
Prema Group Limited is going for its initial public offering and is inviting those interested to become shareholders.
Prema Organics and VITOPS are importers, exporters and distributers of natural and certified organic food and products for Australian and worldwide markets.
“We promote GMO free and chemical free food products. Including organic orange juice, organic honey and the "Vegetarian Choice" vegetarian meat substitute range of meats and pasties.
From strawberries to free range eggs, most of our organic produce comes from our beautiful farm in the deep south west of Australia.
We import a huge range of plastic and DYI products for the major Australian supermarkets and hardware stores. In all Prema Organics deals with thousands of products and manufacturers. We are constantly looking for new and innovative products to bring to worldwide markets.”
For a copy of the IPO Prospectus and Fax form please visit http://www.premaorganics.com/prema-group-prospectus.htm
Prema Group Limited (PGL) has obtained the distribution and marketing rights to a unique and extensive range of environmentally responsible organic and health food products for one of the fastest growing consumer markets in the world.
The Cuisine of the Future: The "Vegetarian Choice" range of products are unique since it has captured the look and taste of meat, but is made from pure wholesome health giving vegetables, herbs, spices and grains.
The Market Swing Towards Tasty Healthy Foods: The swing away from saturated fatty fast foods is now so strong that McDonald’s Hamburgers have experienced for the first time, a decline in sales, resulting in actual earning losses for the first time in its 50 year history.
Product Distribution: The Company presently distributes its product range through large wholesalers and retail supermarkets such as Coles, Pick & Pay, Food for Less, Newmart, Supervalue and Health Stores. Our products are also currently purchased direct from us by a large range of independent stores, and specialty vegetarian outlets in Australia.
Overseas Markets for our Organic and Health Food Product Range: Singapore Airlines have already placed orders and are now using our products whenever vegetarian meals are requested, on their airline. Other airlines have also expressed a very positive interest to follow suit.
Negotiations are presently underway with Malaysia, China, India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Japan, Philippines, Middle East and Indonesia for the importation of PGL’s health food range. Because of the vast population involved in those areas, we assess the market volume potential as quite staggering.
A Truly Sound Business Opportunity: With fresh capital, Prema Group Limited will quickly expand to take full advantage of the projected surge in the already huge consumer demand for our health food products, both in Australia and also in overseas markets.
At this time, we are offering investors the opportunity to become part of an expanding Australian company, with capital raised being used to quickly expand existing markets and penetrate new domestic and international markets.
I invite you to join us in this exciting phase of our development and welcome you as a shareholder in Prema Group Limited.
An application for shares can only be made on the Application Form included in the prospectus. As the number of share parcels are limited, I urge you to return the attached Fax Back Form as soon as possible and we will send you a current prospectus for your participation.
This is truly an opportunity with outstanding potential.
Airan Pevcic, Managing Director, enquiries@premaorganics.com
| Meat Industry Meets At The Border |
Meat exporters, processors, producers, meat and organic industry representatives met for a half-day on the banks of the Hume weir last week
Whilst the water levels remain low, the level of optimism surrounding the prospects for a better range of opportunities to service organic and biodynamic and “transitional” meat differentiation schemes was high.
Simon Quilty of Q meats chaired the 20 strong meeting that first heard from Liz Clay from IFOAM and GOLI. She explained that there was a well developed organic regulatory and industry standard and that there was opportunity to find synergy between the progressive livestock producers search for better product differentiation and being certified organic.
The various meat industry reps from AQIS, MLA and DPI contributed to an analysis of current production and growth prospects, fueled by a claimed rapid growth in off shore demand for a wide range of organic meat products and by products, eg sausage casings
The strong focus on the need for a well-recognized organic meat label was voiced and the complexity of organic labeling regime and its various actors was examined
It was necessary for Ms Clay to differentiate between organic logos and regulatory marks and those corporate trademarks that might be affixed.
The perennial question of equivalence between the certifying bodies was fielded by NASAA’s Rod May who urged those present not see mutual equivalence as a substantial barrier, especially between the major organic beef certification groups.
AQIS' Ian Lyall pointed out that there was a need for the certification system to extend through the chain of custody and briefly outlined the AQIS policies regarding certification and labeling.
NASAA certified Robert Radford of Radford’s abattoirs in Warragul explained his 2 year journey through the organic meat processing business and his plans to complete a certified organic boning room in the next year.
DPI’s Viv Burnett advised the meeting of their research in farmer uptake of organic practices, identifying fear of unknown management of weeds, pests and disease differences within the family, fear of paperwork and lack of information as major impediments.
The meeting also heard details of the NLIS which was agreed was an excellent tool for the traceably of organic stock and how there should be some integration of the various certification and auditing functions carried out across the livestock industry.
The chairman’s chief focus for the meeting, was however, the development of a perspective on the notion of a series of Tiers” which would characterize the livestock industry and contain ”steps”, each more demanding and each regarded more significantly in the market place. The concept of integrating the many categories, e.g. “Grass fed”, EU, Organic etc into a continuum of production specialization for the producer, (with each tier underpinning the subsequent tier in a technical and administrative sense) was explored in some detail.
The key action points to arise from
the meeting were to conduct a detailed gap analysis of the various livestock
accreditation systems. The potential for integration of the systems with its
capacity to reduce cost through economies of scale and a provide pathways for
producers and the industry to move down, servicing the special demands of the
21st century were clearly the subject of consensus. The OFA’s executive members
present gave the meeting every indication that they would support and assist
with plans to progress this national momentum and collaboratively seek the resources
to do so.
| New Growers Markets |
Courtesy of Jane Adams, of The Australasian Farmers' Market Association (AFMA)
AFMA reports that new markets are popping up all the time, and here is a list of some of the new markets begun in the past few months. Jane tells me there is also a story about Barossa Farmers Market in current Gourmet Traveler.
NEW SOUTH WALES
Byron Farmers Market
Market Operator: Byron Farmers Market Association
Butler Street Reserve
Thursdays, 8 - 11am
Contact: Sue Haynes
Telephone: 02 6629 1059
Grafton Farmers & Growers
Market
Market Operator: Grafton Business Enterprise Centre
Market Square, Grafton
2nd Thursday, 7am 1pm
Telehone: (02) 6643 1967
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Battunga Country Growers Market
Old Uniting Church Camp, 2 Marriot St Macclesfield
(Adelaide Hills)
Every Sunday
Contact: Helena Post (Chair) Community Assoc
Phone(08) 8388 9792
Website: battungagrowers@hotmail.com
VICTORIA
Lancefield District Farmers Market
Chauncey St, Lancefield
4th Saturday 8am 2pm
Contact: Meggs Hannes
Telephone (03) 5429 2115
Email: gingermeggs20@hotmail.com
Tatong Farmers Market
Tatong Tavern Hotel, Tatong
Ist Saturday, 8am 1pm
Contact: Nia Rowe
Telephone: (03) 5767 2210
| These are just some of the events listed in the OFA events calendar for this month. Please Send details of your events to webmaster@ofa.org.au or enter them yourself here |
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2003 Western Australia Organic and Biodynamic Conference |
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Permaculture Design Course |
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Natural Farming Seminar With Pat Coleby |
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Hunter BD Group Public Education Project |
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Eco Innovation and Sustainable Development Course |
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Biodynamic Sugar Cane Growing |
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Inaugural Queensland Organics Conference |
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Click here for details of these and other events.
| You will find more OFA and other industry services in the links below. |
