Sustainable Agriculture Week
Volume 3, Number 5
February 18, 1994
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HEADLINES:
- CENTER SETS UP SUSTAINABLE AG HOTLINE
- AG RUNOFF TO BE INCLUDED IN CLEAN WATER REVISIONS
- FINAL FORESTRY PLAN WON'T BE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN
PROPOSAL
- BABBITT ANNOUNCES GRAZING PLAN
- MEDFLY SPRAYING TO RESUME IN CALIFORNIA
- JAPANESE TAKING HIGH-TECH APPROACH TO SELLING ORGANIC
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News Summaries
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CENTER SETS UP SUSTAINABLE AG HOTLINE
The Center for Rural Affairs in Walthill, Nebraska has established a
hotline to help producers find out more about what their options are
under USDA programs on sustainable agriculture, wetlands and
conservation reserve and water quality. In addition, farmers can
find out more about the proposed changes for 1994 in the USDA's
Integrated Farm Management Program (IFMPO), which will
reportedly allow farmers to plant soil-saving crop rotations while
protecting their existing base acreage and still receive deficiency
payments on base acreage. Farmers are also expected to be allowed
to plant certain resource conserving crops on set-aside acres. The
hotline number is (402) 491-3620. For more information on the
Center for Rural Affairs, contact them at P.O. Box 406, Walthill, NE
68067, Tel: (402) 846-5428, Fax: (402) 846-5420.
In other resource news, a network for information about Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) techniques has also been established.
IPMnet is accessible via the Internet 24 hours a day. The purpose of
IPMnet is to provide researchers and producers with the latest
international information on IPM. The network is a project of the
Consortium for International Crop Protection (CICP) and the National
Biological Impact Assessment Program (NBIAP). Newsletters,
information exchanges, technical reports and databases of
information on research, teaching, implementation and policy
initiatives on IPM are encouraged on the IPMnet. There is no
subscription fee; however users will be charged normal fees for
Internet connect time. First time users are asked to complete a
questionnaire detailing their interests and experiences. For more
information, contact IPMnet Newsletter, c/o Integrated Plant
Protection Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, Tel:
(503) 737-3080, Fax: (503) 737-2915, Email: deutscha@bcc.orst.edu.
Source: "National Sustainable Options Hotline," CENTER FOR RURAL
AFFAIRS PRESS RELEASE, February 10, 1994; "New Electronic Source
for IPM Information," Email communication, January 31, 1994.
AG RUNOFF TO BE INCLUDED IN CLEAN WATER REVISIONS
A recent proposal by President Clinton includes runoff from
agricultural production and other sources of unregulated pollution in
revisions of the Clean Water Act. In addition, the proposal allows for
tougher enforcement of local water treatment programs and
pollution laws. Proponents argue that tight controls are already in
place over industrial discharges. The pollution problem now lies
with runoff from agriculture, lawns, streets and storm drains, they
maintain.
Provisions for state watershed management initiatives would then
include regulating manure handling and lawn care chemicals. The
proposal would require an additional $8 billion in state and local
spending, up from $62 billion currently.
The administration's proposal would allocate $13 billion over ten
years for states for water quality treatment plants and other
initiatives. An additional $200 million in direct grants would be
made available each year. Lawmakers on the Senate Committee on
the Environment and Public Works are already considering a
proposal put forth by Max Baucus (D-MT) and John Chafee (R-RI),
which was written in consultation with Clinton staff.
Representative Gerry Studds (D-MA) has put a bill before the House
that would require a tax on pesticides and fertilizers and on heavy
users of water for industrial purposes to pay for water pollution
clean-up. Studds believes such a tax could raise as much as $4
billion annually for water quality improvement efforts.
Environmentalists are reportedly pleased with the Clinton proposal
but said they would work to strengthen it. Property rights advocates
warned that their interests would play a major role in any revisions
of the Clean Water Act.
Source: John Cushman, Jr., "Clinton and Senators Detail Ambitious
Measures for Clean Water," NEW YORK TIMES, February 2, 1994.
FINAL FORESTRY PLAN WON'T BE MUCH DIFFERENT THAN
PROPOSAL
Kathleen McGinty of the Office on Environmental Policy said earlier
this month that the final proposal for managing logging in the Pacific
Northwest would not be much different from the original proposal
despite lawsuits and the receipt of 100,000 public comments.
McGinty said the plan would beat court challenges because it upholds
"the letter and spirit of the law." She also said Vice President Al Gore
would be visiting the area this month to present "a major address on
watershed management."
A recent study by two botanists with the Missouri Botanical Gardens
showed that trees are dying and being replaced at a more rapid rate
than previously thought. The most likely cause, they said, was the
increase in industrial-produced carbon dioxide. The faster turnover
of trees might also be increasing carbon dioxide levels in the
atmosphere, thereby contributing to global warming and the loss of
species diversity.
Dr. Oliver Phillips and Dr. Alwyn Gentry's report says that with
increased carbon dioxide emissions, plant growth and death is
hastened. As trees mature and die sooner, gaps are left on the forest
floor and filled by light-seeking trees and woody vines known as
lianas. These grow faster than normal trees, are less-dense and as a
result, they absorb less carbon dioxide. If this is indeed the case,
"the bottom line would be a net decrease in the carbon-sequestering
ability of the worldwide tropical forest as a whole," said Dr. Phillips.
A full report appears in the current edition of the journal SCIENCE.
While the research is speculative at this point, many researchers
praised the collection of the tree turnover data, much of which was
performed by Dr. Gentry who died in a plane crash in Ecuador last
summer.
Source: "McGinty: Forest Rule Unlikely to Include Major Revisions,"
NATIONAL JOURNAL, February 10, 1994; William Stevens, "Rapid
Change in Forests Tied to Global Warming," NEW YORK TIMES,
February 18, 1994.
BABBITT ANNOUNCES GRAZING PLAN
Two weeks ago, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt revealed part of his
grazing reform plans. Among them are a plan to abolish the Grazing
Advisory Boards and replace them with more diverse interests.
Under the plan, which originated with an idea of Colorado Governor
Roy Romer, a series of Multiple Resource Advisory Councils, made up
of ranchers, environmentalists and other members of the community,
would be set up. The councils would then oversee the Bureau of
Land Management districts management and planning activities.
"My wager ... is that in the new West, the stakeholders -- in all their
diversity -- can come together and forge a new consensus for public
land involvement," said Babbitt. The proposal is expected to be
published in full in March.
Source: "Babbitt Unveils Proposal for Local Advice on Grazing,"
NATIONAL JOURNAL, February 14, 1994.
MEDFLY SPRAYING TO RESUME IN CALIFORNIA
In an attempt to save the state of California's $18 billion-a-year
agricultural industry, spraying of the Mediterranean fruit fly -- or
medfly -- was set to resume last week. State officials said
helicopters will spray neighborhoods, parks, schools and farms of
Riverside County with the insecticide malathion. Japan and other
countries have threatened a trade embargo on fruits and vegetables
produced in state because of the presence of the medfly. "We are
under pressure from our trading partners to stop the spread of the
medfly, and just like the earthquake, floods and hurricanes, we are
in a state of economic emergency to resolve this thing," said Carl
DeWing of the California State Department of Agriculture.
But environmentalists and local officials are concerned that the
spraying will create a public health hazard. The city of Corona had
filed a petition with the California Supreme Court to have the
spraying stopped. "Certainly no one wants to encourage the use of
any of these pesticide materials but somehow, some way, this fly
must be eradicated," said William Quarles of the California-Arizona
Citrus League.
Source: Calvin Sims, "California Loads Sprayers, Fearing Return of the
Medfly," NEW YORK TIMES, February 15, 1994.
JAPANESE TAKING HIGH-TECH APPROACH TO SELLING
ORGANIC
A new nationwide farm group in Japan is taking a different approach
to selling organically grown products to deal with changes in the
industry in addition to the heightened awareness among consumers
about food safety issues. The group, Nogyo Ishinto -- or the Farming
Revolution Party -- will begin selling its products under the brand
name Nokyo Minzoku. The goal of the group is to link organic
producers to retail outlets through the use of a computerized
network which will also contain databases of information on farming
techniques and consumer tastes. As of February 10, ten Tokyo
retailers had set up special display areas for the group's products.
In other organic news, FARMER TO FARMER, a publication of the
Ozark Small Farm Viability Project, urges the National Organic
Standards Board (NOSB) to speed up the deliberation process on
organic standards. "The longer the NOSB deliberates on organic
standards, the more special interests and organicrats can work to
erode the integrity of the organic label. A label that is not clear,
consistent and adherent to the law will alienate consumers, sink
organic farmers and doom the industry," states a recent article.
Another meeting of the NOSB to deliberate organic standards is
tentatively scheduled for May of this year.
Source: "Organic Products Come To Market," JAPAN TIMES, January
25, 1994; "Don't Mislabel Organic," FARMER TO FARMER (P.O. Box 99,
Mt. Judea, AR 72655), January 1994.
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Resources
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PESTICIDES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDUSTRIALIZED
NATIONS' REGULATORY SYSTEMS (GAO/PMED-93-17) is now
available from the General Accounting Office. For a copy, write GAO,
Washington, D.C. 20548.
In addition, PESTICIDES: REGISTRATION DELAYS JEOPARDIZE
SUCCESS OF PROPOSED POLICY REFORMS (GAO/T-RCED-94-48) is
also available from GAO at the above address.
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Events
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FEBRUARY
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INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC WORKSHOP ON THE
TRANSFORMATION OF THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT IN CUBA,
February 1994, Havana, Cuba. FFI, contact: Dr. Mario Zaqueira
Sanchez, University of Havana, Zona 6, Alamar, Havana, Cuba, Tel:
(53-7) 651305/652221, Fax: (53-7) 322757.
FARMING FOR PROFIT AND STEWARDSHIP -- A CONFERENCE
ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS FOR THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST, February 18-19, 1994, Corvallis, OR. FFI,
contact: John Luna, Department of Horticulture, 4143 Agriculture
and Life Sciences Building, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
97331, Tel: (503) 737-5430, Fax: (503) 737-3479, email:
lunaj@bcc.orst.edu or David Granatstein, Tel: (503) 663-8181, ext.
222, email: granats@wsuvm1.csc.wsu.edu.
ORGANIC GROWERS AND BUYERS ASSOCIATION 1994
ANNUAL MEETING, February 19, 1994, Hutchinson, MN. FFI,
contact: Organic Growers and Buyers Association, 1405 Silver Lake
Road, New Brighton, MN 55112, Tel: (612) 636-7933, Fax: (612)
636-4135.
SMALL FARM GATHERING, February 26, 1994, Lake City, MN.
FFI, contact: Full Circle, Route 1, Box 52BB, Lake City, MN 55041, Tel:
(507) 753-2080.
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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.