>
>
> Bart Hall's comment, as well as the use of Fred Kirschenmann' concern,
>indeed other attempts to question the validity of organics and it's relation
>to
>sustainable ag strike me as mean-spirited attempts to knock those
>producers who have made a committment to sustainable agriculture, rather
>than thoughtful concerns about the threats to organics on the horizon.
> Indeed it strikes me as characteristic of the sustainable ag
>discussions, which definately faces larger threats than the organics
>industry. Rather than directing our resources in sust. ag. to helping
>interested or committed producers to create for successful and
>sustainable operations, much of our effort goes toward qualifying novel
>chemical approaches (precision farming, no till...) as sustainable.
Dear JJ. I agree with you and thank you for making the point. I often wonder
what the real motivation is for the "organic bashing" on the part of some
sustainable agriculture people and environmentalists. The point made by
Patrick Madden and others about the threat of corporate take-over of organics
(and all other kind of food) is valid but that issue is separate from the
effort to build sustainability into organic practices. Organic farmers are
putting theselves on the line and living up to written standards. I doubt if
you'll ever see a "precision farmer" with the same level of committment.
Ronald Nigh
Dana Association
Mexico