Sustainable Agriculture News Bulletin
Volume 2, Number 14
August 13, 1993
------------------------------------------------
HEADLINES:
- BABBITT ANNOUNCES PROPOSED GRAZING FEE INCREASES
- DUPONT SETTLES FIRST BENLATE CASE OUT OF COURT
- 161 MILLION POUNDS OF PESTICIDES USED IN CALIFORNIA IN
1991
- SOME FLOODED FARMERS RETURN TO WETLANDS
- HORNWORM "MILKSHAKE" COMBATS CASSAVA PESTS
- EPA TO PROMOTE LOW-RISK PESTICIDES
- COLOMBIAN SUGAR INDUSTRY SEARCHING FOR GREEN SOLUTION
------------------------------------------------
News Summaries
------------------------------------------------
BABBITT ANNOUNCES PROPOSED GRAZING FEE INCREASES
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced a new initiative aimed at
over-hauling the system of grazing fees for livestock on public lands.
Included in the proposal is a plan that would raise the current
grazing fee from $1.86 per animal unit to $4.28. "We're here today
to deliver upon President Clinton's commitment for public land
reform," Babbitt said at a news conference. Ranchers and members
of congress from western states were critical of the plan. Randall
Brewer of the Public Lands Council said the initiative "could force as
many as two-thirds of Western public land ranchers out of business,
and harm the Western environment in the process." On the contrary,
responded Babbitt, "many, if indeed not most, ranchers are good
stewards, and their management of the land is probably in most
cases the best environmental use of that land." Environmentalists
called the plan "a good start" but expressed skepticism over the lack
of a provision that would prohibit grazing on the most fragile lands
or in wildlife refuge areas. The increase would add an additional $30
million to the federal Treasury over the next year. The proposal is
not expected to go into effect until several rounds of public comment
and meetings have taken place throughout the West.
Source: "Rules May Compound Higher U.S. Grazing Fee," REUTER,
August 9, 1993; "Reform for the Public Lands," NEW YORK TIMES,
August 11, 1993; Rose Gutfeld, "U.S. Renews its Efforts to Overhaul
Grazing Policy, Calling for Higher Fees," WALL STREET JOURNAL,
August 10, 1993.
DUPONT SETTLES FIRST BENLATE CASE OUT OF COURT
After five weeks in the courtroom and two days of jury
deliberations, ornamental plant growers who sued the DuPont
chemical company over plant damage allegedly caused by the
company's Benlate product settled out of court. Four growers from
the states of Georgia, Alabama, Michigan and Hawaii will receive
$4.25 million from DuPont. They had originally sought a combined
total of $430 million. "This is a victory for DuPont, for our employees
and for our science," said DuPont chair Edgar Woolard. "We remain
as committed as ever that our product did not cause the damage
claimed." Woolard said the company will continue to defend the
Benlate product when they face an additional 400 pending lawsuits,
one of which will begin in Broward County, Florida next week. C.
Neal Pope, the attorney for the growers, said, "We're pleased the case
is disposed of," noting he could not say anything further under the
terms of the settlement. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Bob
Crawford issued a statement requesting that the company settle with
farmers in the pending cases to avoid long legal battles. "There is no
way that a company like DuPont would have agreed to pay out more
than $4 million in this case unless company officials knew that their
product was responsible for the damage," Crawford said.
Source: "DuPont Settles Benlate DF Suit Out of Court," UPI, August 12,
1993; Scott McMurray, "DuPont Settles Lawsuit Over Fungicide for
Small Fraction of Damages Sought," WALL STREET JOURNAL, August
13, 1993.
161 MILLION POUNDS OF PESTICIDES USED IN CALIFORNIA
IN 1991
According to a recent report by the California Department of
Pesticide Regulation, over 161 million pounds of pesticides were used
throughout the state in 1991 -- 90% of which were used in
agricultural production. Californians have been required to report all
pesticide use since 1990. The figure actually represents a decline of
approximately 20 million pounds from 1990. Sources say the drop is
probably indicative of the recently-ended drought which decreased
production. More than 2.75 million pesticide use reports were filed
in 1991, compared with 823,000 filed in 1988. Grapes, cotton and
sugar beets accounted for nearly 1/3 of the total pesticide use in
1991. Copies of the report are available for $25 from the
Department of Pesticide Regulation, Information Services Branch,
1220 North Street, P.O. Box 942871, Sacramento, CA 94271.
Source: Don Villarejo, "Pesticide Use Tops 161 Million Pounds in
1991," RURAL CALIFORNIA REPORT, Summer 1993.
SOME FLOODED FARMERS RETURN TO WETLANDS
Some farmers who have battled severe flooding in the Midwest this
summer are allowing their land to return to wetlands. "Its' gotten so
bad out here that I just plant crops to watch them disappear. There's
water everywhere, and each year the flooding just gets worse," said
Minnesota farmer Elton Sletta. As a result of the flooding
predicament, Sletta is turning to the Wetlands Reserve Program.
Under this federally regulated program, Sletta will receive money for
letting his land return to its original marsh condition. More and
more farmers are expected to turn to the program as a result of the
flooding. Many environmental organizations have long advocated a
return to wetlands as they act as a sponge that detains and filters
water. "We've known all along that wetlands can provide storage for
flood water. But nature has given us a wake-up call: Don't destroy
wetlands and don't live in the floodplain," said Doug Inkley of the
National Wildlife Federation. Congress recently agreed to expand the
program to 20 states and provide $67 million in funding for the
program next year.
Source: Dean Rebuffoni, "Some Decide to Let Wet Land Be Wetland,"
MINNEAPOLIS START TRIBUNE, August 8, 1993.
HORNWORM "MILKSHAKE" COMBATS CASSAVA PESTS
Researchers at the International Center for Tropical Research (CIAT)
in Cali, Colombia have discovered a new way to combat a hornworm
that affects millions of acres of cassava crops in developing countries.
The researchers blend cassava hornworms that carry a virus,
identifiable by their swollen bodies, which kills healthy hornworms
when it is sprayed on plants. Twelve hornworms make enough
spray for 2 1/2 acres of crops and friendly insects like wasps are not
harmed by the spray. Cassava is a staple food for nearly 500 million
of the world's poorest people.
Source: Boyce Rensberger, "Agriculture: Whipping Up a Low-Tech
Pesticide," WASHINGTON POST, August 9, 1993.
EPA TO PROMOTE LOW-RISK PESTICIDES
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an initiative
that will make registration of low or reduced-risk pesticides easier.
The new policy will give priority to applications for registration of
pesticides that have been shown to have a less dangerous impact on
humans and the environment. EPA says the policy is in keeping with
a promise made in June in the wake of a study by the National
Academy of Sciences that showed children are more likely to be
exposed to pesticide residues due to their diet.
In other EPA news, the agency revoked tolerance standards for
residues of the pesticide aldicarb on bananas in compliance with its
policy to revoke tolerances for pesticides that have been
discontinued. The French chemical company Rhone-Poulenc
voluntarily ended sales of aldicarb for use on bananas in 1991 and
the EPA canceled the chemical's registration after the company failed
to pay a fee for continued registration in 1992. Studies have
determined that excessive residues of the pesticide on bananas could
result in acute illness. The chemical will continue to be registered for
use on a variety of other food crops.
Source: Al Heier, "EPA Takes First Step in Promoting Development
and Registration of Lower-Risk Pesticides," EPA PRESS RELEASE,
August 6, 1993; Al Heier, ""EPA Revokes Tolerance of Pesticide
Aldicarb in Bananas," EPA PRESS RELEASE, July 23, 1993.
COLOMBIAN SUGAR INDUSTRY SEARCHING FOR GREEN
SOLUTION
Black smoke surrounds the sugar cane fields of Colombia as the crop
is burnt prior to harvest to remove leaves from the stalks. The
Colombian sugar industry is currently looking for a solution to the
burning which creates a smoke so thick that people suffer lung
damage and the skies rain black. Researchers say the crop could be
harvested green but without the development of new varieties,
growers could lose up to 30% of their crop. James Cock of Cenicana,
the Colombian sugar industry's research arm, said the answer lies in
finding a new variety that can be harvested green as quickly as
burnt crops. "With the present varieties, we take a lot of trash, such
as leaves, to the sugar mills, which interferes with the factory
process. If we can grow varieties where the leaves just fall off
naturally before harvesting, we can overcome a lot of these
problems," Cock said. Varieties with higher sugar content and
thicker stems, which will allow the cutter more weight per cut, would
also be helpful. "It will be a low process but I think Colombia will
eventually move towards green cane," said Cock.
Source: John Madelye, "Colombia's Black City Turns to Green Sugar,"
FINANCIAL TIMES, August 11, 1993.
------------------------------------------------
Resources
------------------------------------------------
THE NATURAL FARMER is published four times a year by
the Natural Organic Farmers Association (NOFA). It covers the latest
news in organic farming such as updates on federal laws pertaining
to organic production, book reviews and community-supported
agriculture operations. It also provides an excellent forum for
advertising your organic products. For more information, contact The
Natural Farmer, c/o NOFA, 411 Sheldon Road, Barre, MA 01005.
------------------------------------------------
Conferences/Events
------------------------------------------------
AUGUST
--------------------------------------------
NATIONAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST CONFERENCE, August 5-
8, 1993, Cincinnati, OH. FFI, contact: Institute for Community
Economics, 57 School Street, Springfield, MA 01105, Tel: (413) 746-
8660.
TOUR OF COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE FARM,
August 7, 1993, Osceola, WI. FFI, contact: Paul Schaefer, Western
Wisconsin Sustainable Farming Network, Tel: (715) 792-5227.
10TH ANNUAL SUMMER CONFERENCE & CELEBRATION OF
RURAL LIFE, August 13-15, 1993, Amherst, MA. FFI, contact: Julie
Rawson, Natural Organic Farming Association, 411 Sheldon Road,
Barre, MA 01105, (508) 355-2853.
ETHNOSCIENCES INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP, August 13-20,
1993, Sussex, U.K. FFI, contact: Tadue Caldas, Emerson College,
Forest Row, Sussex, RH18 5JX, U.K. tel: (44) 342-824622, fax: (44)
342-824949.
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON SOIL TESTING, PLANT
ANALYSIS AND PRECISION NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT, August
14-19, 1993, Olympia, WA. FFI, contact: Benton Jones, Jr., Evergreen
State College, (706) 546-0425.
THIRD NORTH AMERICAN AGROFORESTRY CONFERENCE, August
15-18, 1993, Ames, IA. FFI, contact: Dr. Richard Schultz, Department
of Forestry, 251 Bessey Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011,
fax: (515) 294-1337.
PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE, August 16-29, 1993, Orleans,
CA. FFI, contact: Sandy Bar Ranch, P.O. Box 347, Orleans, CA 95556,
Tel: (916) 627-3379.
SOIL MANAGEMENT IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, August
31-September 4, 1993, Ashford, Kent, U.K. FFI, contact: Dr. H. Lee,
Wye College, University of London, Ashford
Kent TN25 5AH, U.K., Fax: (44) 023 381-3320.
--------------------------------------------------
Produced by: Michelle Thom, Institute for Agriculture and Trade
Policy , 1313 5th Street SE Suite 303, Minneapolis, MN 55414, Tel:
(612) 379-5980 Fax: (612) 379-5982 EMail: mthom@igc.org or
mmthom@alex.stkate.edu. In addition to this news bulletin, the
Institute publishes a variety of news bulletins on agriculture, the
environment and international trade. These include: Biotechnology
Bulletin (weekly news bulletins on biotechnology); Trade News (daily
news bulletins on international trade issues); and Farm Policy News
(news bulletins on farm policy four times a week). The Institute
also maintains a wide range of computer-based information services
on the EcoNet computer network. Contact the Institute for more
information.