JOHN BOBBE, THE COORDINATOR FOR THIS IRG NETWORK, ASKED ME TO
SPEAK TO THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF THE GREAT LAKES AS A SEGWAY
INTO DISCUSSION OF YOUR EFFORTS IN THE REGION. I HESITATED TO DO
SO, GIVEN THE ENORMITY OF THE TASK. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST
QUESTIONS WE ASKED WHEN WWF BEGAN ITS WORK ON AGRICULTURAL
POLLUTION PREVENTION IN THE REGION NEARLY THREE YEARS AGO. AT
THE 1993 MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GREAT LAKES
RESEARCHERS, HUNDREDS OF SCIENTISTS CONVENED TO DISCUSS THEIR
INSIGHT INTO THE HEALTH OF THE LAKES, YET I HEARD NO REAL
CONSENSUS ON THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE LAKES. SOME THINGS HAD
IMPROVED, WHILE OTHERS HAD NOT--THERE IS MORE THAT WE DO NOT KNOW
THAN WHAT WE KNOW. YET WHAT WE KNOW IS COMPELLING. WWF
TRADITIONALLY USES INDICATOR SPECIES TO DETERMINE ECOSYSTEM
HEALTH. AND GREAT LAKES RESEARCHERS ARE REPORTING THAT FISH
POPULATIONS CONTINUE TO DECLINE AND EAGLES ARE NOT NESTING
SUCCESSFULLY ALONG THE LAKE SHORES.
WWF'S SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, DR. THEO COLBORN, HAS CONVENED
SCIENTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SHARE THEIR INSIGHT ON WHY
INDICATOR SPECIES FROM VARIOUS ECOSYSTEMS WORLDWIDE ARE NOT
REPRODUCING. THEY AGREE THAT THE WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTS
THAT MANY OF THE CHEMICALS WE USE ROUTINELY -- INCLUDING
PESTICIDES -- ARE DISRUPTING THE NORMAL FUNCTIONING OF ANIMAL
HORMONAL, NERVOUS AND REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS. THEY ALSO AGREE THAT
CONSERVATIVE ACTIONS THAT REDUCE RELIANCE ON THESE TOXICS ARE IN
ORDER.
MOST ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CONTINUE TO FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS ON
INDUSTRIAL TOXICS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT ARE KNOWN OR SUSPECTED
TO ENDANGER HUMAN HEALTH. POINT-SOURCE -- THAT IS INDUSTRIAL AND
URBAN WASTE WATER EMISSIONS -- TO THE LAKES AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES
HAVE DECREASED OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS. THINKING HAS SHIFTED FROM
POLLUTION CONTROL TO POLLUTION PREVENTION -- ELIMINATING THE NEED
FOR TOXICS IN THE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, OR AT LEAST SUBSTITUTING
LESS TOXIC CHEMICALS FOR THOSE THAT ARE EXTREMELY TOXIC. THERE
IS STILL MUCH WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN POLLUTION PREVENTION
WITH INDUSTRY AND WASTE WATER, BUT WITH IMPROVED RECORD-KEEPING,
INDUSTRY HAS BEEN ABLE TO DOCUMENT REDUCTIONS.
WHILE CONCERN OVER POINT-SOURCE POLLUTION IS LEVELING OFF,
ATTENTION TO NON-POINT POLLUTION, SUCH AS AGRICULTURAL AND URBAN
RUN-OFF, IS INCREASING. SOIL EROSION PLAGUED THE HEALTH OF THE
GREAT LAKES LONG BEFORE THERE WERE POINT SOURCE EMISSIONS -- WORK
TO REDUCE SOIL EROSION IS ON-GOING. IN THE LAST DECADE
GOVERNMENT HAS POURED A LOT OF MONEY INTO WATER MONITORING TO
DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION BEYOND SOIL
EROSION. THE GREAT LAKES COMMISSION -- A QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL
AGENCY -- HAS WORKED WITH WWF OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO DEVELOP
AN AGRICULTURAL PROFILE OF THE GREAT LAKES. OUR PROFILE AND
RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO ADDRESS AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION ISSUES
IN THE REGION WILL BE DISCUSSED AT THE GREAT LAKES AGRICULTURAL
SUMMIT, APRIL 22 & 23. WE HOPE THAT SOME OF YOU CAN JOIN US FOR
THAT DISCUSSION.
IN PARTS OF THE BASIN, GROUNDWATER MONITORING SHOWS EXCESSIVE
LEVELS OF PESTICIDES AND NUTRIENTS IN SOIL TYPES RANGING FROM
SANDY TO CLAY. HIGH SEASONAL LOADINGS OF NUTRIENTS AND
PESTICIDES, ESPECIALLY IN TRIBUTARIES TO THE LAKES, ARE A GROWING
CONCERN. SOME ASSUME THAT STEMMING SOIL EROSION WILL DEAL WITH
NUTRIENT AND PESTICIDE LOADINGS. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT THAT
SIMPLE, ESPECIALLY IF WE HOPE TO ADDRESS GROUNDWATER POLLUTION.
TO BORROW FROM LESSONS LEARNED IN INDUSTRY, AGRICULTURE NEEDS TO
PREVENT POLLUTION, NOT SIMPLY CONTROL IT.
IN OUR RECENT REPORT, REDUCING RELIANCE ON PESTICIDES IN THE
GREAT LAKES BASIN, WE STRESS THE NEED TO MOVE DECISIVELY ALONG A
PREVENTION SPECTRUM. (SEE P.4) THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO REDUCE
RELIANCE ON TOXICS IN AGRICULTURE IS TO TAKE A SYSTEMS APPROACH
TO FARM AND PEST MANAGEMENT. WE NEED TO DEVELOP FARMING SYSTEMS
THAT ADDRESS A PATTERN OF ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS---SOIL EROSION,
NUTRIENT AND PESTICIDE POLLUTION, DIMINISHING WILDLIFE HABITAT
AND OTHERS. SOME IN GOVERNMENT ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THE WISDOM
TO A SYSTEMS APPROACH, ILLUSTRATED BY NRCS' COMMITMENT TO WHOLE
FARM PLANNING. YET THERE IS A LOT OF INERTIA IN GOVERNMENT SO
PROGRAMS CHANGE SLOWLY COMPARED TO OUR UNDERSTANDING. FARMERS
ARE MUCH MORE RECEPTIVE TO NEW IDEAS AND YOU AS GRAZIERS ARE A
TESTAMENT TO THIS.
THIS PATTERN OF SOIL EROSION, NUTRIENT AND PESTICIDE RUN-OFF IS
IN LARGE MEASURE DUE TO INDUSTRIAL-STYLE AGRICULTURE THAT TAKES
ANIMALS OUT OF THE FARMING SYSTEM AND CONFINES THEM TO FEED LOTS,
CONCENTRATES CORN AND SOYBEAN PRODUCTION, AND DE-EMPHASIZES CROP
DIVERSITY.
IRG OFFERS A PROFITABLE SOLUTION TO THIS PATTERN OF ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS BY MAINTAINING ANIMALS AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE
FARMING SYSTEM AND FEEDING THEM GRASS -- A MUCH MORE
ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY CROP THAN CORN AND BEANS -- AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE. IRG HELPS FARMERS MEET PRIMARY GOALS OF PROFITABILITY
AND A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, AS WELL.
IRG IS A SYSTEMS APPROACH THAT SUSTAINS BOTH THE FARM AND THE
FAMILY. THIS IS A SUCCESS STORY THE PUBLIC WANTS TO HEAR. WHEN
KEVIN KIEHNAU SHARED HIS STORY OF PESTICIDE REDUCTION THROUGH IRG
TO MORE THAN 70 MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS,
YOU COULD FEEL A SENSE OF HOPE AND EMPOWERMENT BUILD AS HE SPOKE.
WE ARE THEN LEFT WITH THE QUESTION OF HOW TO TAKE INDUSTRIAL-
STYLE ANIMAL AGRICULTURE FORWARD TO A MORE INTEGRATED,
BIOLOGICALLY-BASED SYSTEM. SOME OF THE ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED
INCLUDE:
* GENERALLY, CORN/SOYBEAN PRODUCERS NO LONGER HAVE THE
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY SKILLS NECESSARY TO REINTEGRATE
ANIMALS ON THEIR FARMS. THEY TEND TO BE LARGE
OPERATIONS WITH MULTIPLE LANDLORDS, AND THE FARM
OPERATORS ARE INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN HIGH-END
CAPITAL-INTENSIVE SYSTEMS LIKE PRECISION FARMING.
* GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A FALSE MARKET
FOR CORN AND SOYBEANS, AND OTHERWISE DISCOURAGE ON-FARM
DIVERSITY.
* FEEDLOTS ARE OWNED BY MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS THAT
HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN MAINTAINING INDUSTRIAL-STYLE
ANIMAL PRODUCTION. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR MANY MEGA-
DAIRIES.
* WE'VE LOST A LOT OF OUR SMALL SCALE MEAT PROCESSORS AND
SMALL MARKETS FOR MEAT, ESPECIALLY POULTRY AND HOGS.
AS YOU ADD VALUE TO THE MEAT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS YOU
PRODUCE, THERE IS A CORRESPONDING NEED TO RE-DEVELOP
THE LOCAL/REGIONAL PROCESSING AND MARKET
INFRASTRUCTURE.