Sustainable Agriculture News Bulletin
Volume 3, Number 1
January 7, 1994
------------------------------------------------
HEADLINES:
- DEBATE OVER NATURAL PESTICIDES CONTINUES
- RESEARCHER SAYS LIVESTOCK NECESSARY FOR SUSTAINABLE AG
- PESTICIDE PROPOSAL COULD INCREASE PRODUCER COSTS
- VIETNAM ENACTS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LEGISLATION
- U.K. SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVE HOPES TO IMPROVE FARMERS'
IMAGE
------------------------------------------------
News Summaries
------------------------------------------------
DEBATE OVER NATURAL PESTICIDES CONTINUES
Scientists are reportedly making headway in their attempt to
identify fungi and other natural enemies in the fight to control weeds
and pests in agricultural production. "Everyone wants an alternative
to chemical pesticides because we know the harm that they do to the
environment," said Dr. John Henry, a retired entomologist and
adjunct faculty at Montana State University. Of primary concern in
most current research are the locust and grasshopper plagues that
still affect many areas of the world, including the U.S. Some experts
estimate that crop damages due to locusts and grasshoppers cost the
U.S. $400 to $500 million annually. The damage estimates increase
every eight to 10 years when major outbreaks occur.
Scientists are currently working with fungi strains which are proving
to be useful in initial trials where locust and grasshopper outbreaks
are common occurrences. One fungus, known as Metarhizium
flavoviride, or M.F., is expected to undergo testing soon in areas of
the Sudan, Mauritania, Pakistan and India where locust outbreaks
are happening now. Dr. Hans Herren of the International Institute
for Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria said a particular application that
he has been working with has been successful in combating
grasshoppers in Benin, Niger and Mali in addition to fighting locusts
in Asia. "This fungus formulation will be useful anywhere in the
world where locusts or grasshoppers are a problem," Herren said.
When sprayed on their natural enemies, the fungus spores invade
the exoskeleton on the insects, grow and digest their tissues,
eventually killing the insect. However, the conditions must be
optimal. For instance, fungi spores need to be kept moist and out of
ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In addition, it remains to be seen
whether or not many of these methods are harmful to the natural
environment or if they produce toxins in humans.
As such, many researchers remain skeptical about these alternatives.
"Similar things have been tried in the past and, under optimal
conditions, could be effective. But you don't often have perfect
conditions in the real world so I'll be somewhat skeptical until I see
positive results," said Dr. David Pinentel, an entomologist at Cornell
University. Dr. Jeffrey Lockwood of the University of Wyoming
recently criticized biological control trials on rangeland grasshoppers
because fewer than 15 of 300 grasshopper species are harmful to
agricultural crops. "Available evidence suggests the costs of such a
strategy greatly exceed the benefits," said Lockwood.
Herren said he and other researchers are exploring these questions.
He said that by mixing a particular formulation of M.F. in vegetable
oil and kerosene, the fungi spores stay alive and the mixture can be
sprayed with traditional chemical spraying equipment. Clifford
Bradley of the Montana-based Mycotech Corporation said his
company is experimenting with an oil suspension which can keep the
spores alive for more than a year. "We're pursuing a strategy of
using fungus as a pesticide. It kills the insects then dies off, the
sunlight killing the fungus back to the natural background level," he
said. Herren said he expects the fungal pesticide to be made
available within the next two years -- if it passes all the remaining
tests.
Source: Warren E. Leary, "Natural Weapons Against an Ancient
Plague," NEW YORK TIMES, January 4, 1994.
RESEARCHER SAYS LIVESTOCK NECESSARY FOR SUSTAINABLE
AG
John Ikerd, head of the University of Missouri's extension program
on sustainable agriculture, suggests that animal agriculture may be
necessary in achieving sustainable agriculture. He says that because
animals can consume grasses and other forage that humans can't,
land needed to sustain animals won't be put into production for
grain, for instance, for human consumption. In addition, the use of
animals in agriculture fosters waste management and nutrient
recycling to assist in the successful regeneration of the land. Finally,
he maintains that sustainable systems are modeled upon natural
ecosystems and carnivorous predators are common in nearly every
ecosystem in existence. "Predators, including human predators, are
quite likely an important and necessary component of sustainable
agriculture systems," Ikerd writes. "Those who would blame human
starvation on animal agriculture are simply diverting attention from
the real problems and challenges in building a sustainable world
society."
Source: John E. Ikerd, "Animal Agriculture May Be Necessary for
Sustainable Ag," FEEDSTUFFS, December 20, 1993.
PESTICIDE PROPOSAL COULD INCREASE PRODUCER COSTS
Analysts Fred Kuchler, Sarah Lynch and Katherine Ralston outline
what they believe the Clinton administration's pesticide proposal
could mean in the December issue of the USDA's Agricultural Outlook.
While the proposed reforms may mean fewer health threats to
farmers and farmworkers, it could mean producers will have to pay
more for pest control costs and lost yields as some pesticides will be
removed from the market. As to the proposal's emphasis on
Integrated Pest Management (IPM), the three say that not enough
research has been done on the technique. "While research on IPM
and reducing pesticide use has been proceeding for many years, only
small portions of research and extension budgets have been allocated
to developing and promoting IPM and other less chemical-intensive
production methods." The team predicts that the pesticide proposal
will be a major policy and program issue for the Clinton
administration and Congress this year.
Source: Gordon Carlson, FEEDSTUFFS, December 20, 1993.
VIETNAM ENACTS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
LEGISLATION
Late last month, the Vietnamese government enacted a law aimed at
protecting the southeast Asian country's ravaged environment.
Under the law, businesses will be required to pay for any
environmental damage they cause. The country has been severely
damaged by the use of pesticides over the past 30 years. A recent
World Bank study said that forest cover has been reduced from 40%
of the total land area to 25%. During the 1960s and early 1970s, U.S.
warplanes sprayed an estimated 12 million gallons of the herbicide
Agent Orange in an attempt to defoliate and expose the hiding places
of North Vietnamese guerrillas. Once the conflict ended, Vietnamese
farmers used excessive amounts of pesticides in an attempt to
increase yields. According to the Ecological Research Institute,
funded by the United Nations, Vietnam is the second-largest user of
toxic pesticides, behind India.
Source: "Vietnam-Environment," AP, December 29, 1993.
U.K. SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVE HOPES TO IMPROVE
FARMERS' IMAGE
A recent initiative in the U.K. is attempting to show farmers that they
can use more environmentally friendly methods of production while
making a profit. The initiative, known as Linking Environment and
Farming, or LEAF, encourages farmers to use fewer inputs, to replant
torn up hedgerows which were removed to increase production, and
to leave wider margins at the edges of fields so that weeds from the
hedges do not seed into crops, requiring the use of herbicides.
"Farmers have an image problem," said David Richardson, a Norfolk
farmer who chairs LEAF. "Farmers will often preserve hedgerows
and protect habitats because they need them for shooting pheasants.
They don't call this conservation, they call it shooting." Richardson
said farmers are also trying to cut down on the use of chemicals out
of financial need. First of all, it is cheaper to match input more
closely to output. Secondly, the reforms of the Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP) call for decreased production and commodity price
support cuts. Those farmers using "greener" methods will benefit
financially, Richardson maintains.
Joining the effort are the large retailers J. Sainsbury, Marks and
Spencer and Safeway. In addition, some of the LEAF funding comes
from large agrochemical companies such as Schering, Wilmot Crop
Protection and Ciba-Geigy. LEAF is also a counterpart to programs in
Germany, Spain and Sweden. LEAF eventually hopes to establish a
network of demonstration farms, with one in each county, over the
next couple of years.
Source: Deborah Hargreaves, "Farmers Turning Over a New Leaf,"
FINANCIAL TIMES, JANUARY 5, 1994.
------------------------------------------------
Resources
------------------------------------------------
URBAN AGRICULTURE is a newsletter of the D.C.-based Urban
Agriculture Network. The network sees agricultural production in
urban areas as one solution to the problems facing cities around the
globe. For more information on their work, activities and
publications, write Urban Agriculture Network, 1711 Lamont Street
NW, Washington, D.C. 20010.
The most recent EARTH ACTION ALERT addresses the issue of
desertification. Human activity in many parts of the world is
exacerbating soil degradation and erosion which prompts the
onslaught of desertification and the resulting problems of poverty,
hunger, landlessness and increasing urbanization. For information on
the activities of Earth Action, contact 1212 Broadway, Suite 830,
Oakland, CA 94612, Tel: (510) 444-6178, Fax: (510) 834-3741.
EPA JOURNAL is a quarterly publication of the Environment
Protection Agency. The most recent edition focuses on the topic of
pollution prevention. Subscriptions begin at $7.50 annually. For
subscription information, send inquiries to the Government Printing
Office, Public Documents Department, Superintendent of Documents,
Washington, D.C. 20402, Tel: (202) 512-2262.
------------------------------------------------
Events
------------------------------------------------
JANUARY
--------------------------------------------
RIDGE TILL WORKSHOPS, January 1994, Minnesota (various dates
and locations). FFI, contact: George Rehm, University of Minnesota,
Tel: (612) 625-6210.
WATER: OUR NEXT CRISIS, January 11-12, 1994, Philadelphia,
PA. FFI, contact: Rob Goldberg, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Tel: (215) 299-
1108.
NATIONAL NO-TILL CONFERENCE, January 11-13, 1994, St. Louis,
MO. FFI, contact: Tel: (414) 782-4480.
FOURTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON GREAT LAKES RELATED
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, January 14-15, 1994, Syracuse, NY.
FFI, contact: Marie Balle, Conference Coordinator, Great Lakes
Research Consortium, 24 Bray Hall, SUNY College of Environmental
Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, Tel: (315) 470-6816, Fax:
(315) 470-6970.
CSAS: FOCAL POINT FOR NEW INITIATIVES, January 14-16,
1994, Kimberton, PA. FFI, contact: Biodynamic Farming and
Gardening Association, P.O. Box 550, Kimberton, PA ???, Tel: (215)
935-7797.
THE SOIL-ROOT RELATIONSHIP, January 18-19, 1994, Chicago,
IL. FFI, contact: Rainbow Treecare, 4601 Excelsior Blvd, Suite 300,
Minneapolis, MN 55416, Tel: (612) 922-3810, Fax: (612) 922-4402.
SOUTHERN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP
ANNUAL CONFERENCE, January 20-22, 1994, Austin, TX. FFI,
contact: Nessa Richman, Sustainable Food Center, 1715 East 6th
Street, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78702, Tel: (512) 472-2073, Fax: (512)
472-2075.
ANNUAL CALIFORNIA PLANT & SOIL CONFERENCE, January
24-25, 1994, San Luis Obispo, CA. FFI, contact: Jim Oster, Tel: (909)
787-5100 or Shannon Mueller, Tel: (209) 488-3261.
BIOBASED PRODUCTS EXPO, January 24-26, 1994, Kansas City, MO.
FFI, contact: Debbie Rubin, Tel: (314) 275-9915.
SOUTH CAROLINA SMALL FARMS CONFERENCE, January 28-29,
1994, Orangeburg, SC. FFI, contact: Verna DeVoe, South Carolina
Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 11280, Columbia, SC 29211, Tel:
(809) 734-2200.
ORGANIC AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE, January 28-29, 1994,
Guelph, Ontario. FFI, contact: Tomas Nimmo, Canadian Organic
Growers, Tel: (705) 444-0923.
--------------------------------------------------
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. All bulletins may be
reproduced and distributed freely without prior permission as long
as proper attribution is included. A copy of any publication in which
an IATP bulletin is cited would be appreciated.