Home News & Events Alternative Agriculture News -- September '97

Headlines:
Senate Committee's Title Bill Includes New Initiative
Organic Standards Are "Good News," Says Wall Street Journal
New Report Examines Industrialized Agriculture, Marketing
Settlement Allows Dairy Products to be Labeled BGH-Free
SARE Requests Proposals for Innovative Marketing
Positions
Pesticides Are Culprits Behind Britain's Disappearing Birds
Swissair Now Serving Organic Food on Its Flights
Senator Leahy Wins Organic Leadership Award
Resources
Upcoming Events

Back Issues

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Subscription information for the hard-copy version is available at the Wallace Institute website.

In addition to this monthly newsletter, the Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture publishes the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal of research on alternative agriculture. It is a scientific forum for disseminating technical, economic, and social research findings about the character and requirements of alternative agriculture systems.

The current issue (Volume 12, No. 1) features a comparison of organic versus conventional grain production in the Mid-Atlantic region, with an economic and farming system overview. Other articles examine:

• A laboratory experiment involving nutrient release from decomposing crop residues.
• Farm structure, market structure and agricultural sustainability goals in New York state dairying.
• Farmers' commitment to continued use of the late spring soil nitrogen test
• Local food systems and sustainable communities.
• Community-controlled economic development as a strategic vision for the sustainable agriculture movement.

Subscriptions to AJAA are $44 for libraries; $24 for individuals; and $12 for students. Find more information about AJAA at he Wallace Institute website.

Senate Committee's Title Bill Include New Initiative

The Senate Agriculture Committee last month approved the "Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1997," or research title, whose centerpiece is a new five-year research initiative with mandatory funding levels greater than those of the Fund for Rural America.

The "Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems," which would be funded at $780 million over five years, would underwrite research in its first two years for:

• food genome mapping
• biotechnology
• natural resource management, including precision agriculture
• food safety and food technology
• new uses and products for agriculture commodities

After those two years, the Research Education and Economics Advisory Board would determine the initiative's future research priorities.

The Senate bill extended funding for the Fund for Rural America through 2001, at its current $100 million annual level. Under the bill, 50% of these funds would be allocated for rural development, 33% for research, and 17% for either purpose at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture. The Senate bill also incorporates a precision agriculture bill as an authorization for the USDA to conduct precision agriculture research.

The new research initiative, which emphasizes "technology silver bullets" such as precision agriculture and genome mapping, could eventually be merged with the Fund for Rural America, which emphasizes rural development, according to Kathleen Merrigan, Senior Analyst for the Wallace Institute. "We hope that won't happen, and would oppose that," she said.

The debate about the research title will be focused on the new Initiative, according to Merrigan. Questions to be resolved include:

• Will the House of Representatives approve the bill's mandatory research funding?
• Will the money needed to fund the new research initiative be successfully taken from savings from nutrition programs, as proposed in the Senate bill?
• How will the trend of creating mandatory funding programs affect appropriations for research and extension in the long run?

The full Senate is expected to vote on the research title bill this month.

Anticipated Organic Standards Are "Good News," Says Wall Street Journal

Long-anticipated federal organic standards, expected this fall, will be "good news for consumers who want more options for healthful dining, and the standards to back them up," according to The Wall Street Journal (August 18, 1997).

The standards could be published in the Federal Register any time between now and Christmas, according to Kathleen Merrigan, Senior Analyst for the Wallace Institute and a member of the National Organic Standards Board.

"Consistency of standards will lead to less misuse of the term 'organic,' and better information for consumers," according to the article. "Public appetite is expected to push annual organic sales, now at $2.5 billion, to $10 billion within five years, according to the USDA. ... The look of organic produce has changed. ... Organic growers can offer better variety and quality because of the industry's overall growth, and because of higher demand in the processed food market."

After the proposed standards are released, the National Organic Standards Board will meet to compare the standards to the Board's recommendations to the USDA, and respond collectively to them, Merrigan said. According to The Wall Street Journal, consumers can also examine the government's organic guidelines and "offer their feedback" on the Internet's World Wide Web at http://www.ams.usda.gov.

New Report Examines Industrialized Agriculture, Marketing

A new report from the Wallace Institute focuses on the rise of "industrialized" agriculture and the increasing popularity of direct marketing of agricultural products.

"In industrialized agriculture, farm-level control over agricultural production operations is being replaced by corporate control, which relegates farm-level workers to the role of hired labor," according to Reorganizing U.S. Agriculture, the second installment in the Institute's ongoing investigation of structural change in U.S. agriculture. "In direct marketing, farmers exercise substantial control over their products, from cultivation or weaning to final sale."

The report looks at

• the legal environment in which industrialized agriculture and direct marketing have evolved
• how they have affected the distribution of control within agriculture
• what measures have been taken to alter that distribution of control.

It recommends research to answer questions posed by the changing structure of agriculture. The report is $6 from the Wallace Institute , 9200 Edmonston Road, #117, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Phone: (301) 441-8777. E-mail: hawiaa@access.digex.net.

Settlement Allows Dairy Products to be Labeled BGH-Free

A settlement announced last month between the state of Illinois and a coalition of organic food companies allows manufacturers to say on their labels that they don't use bovine growth hormone (BGH). Illinois is one of four states, along with Hawaii, Nevada, and Oklahoma, that had forbidden these labels in the past.

"Illinois's 1994 decision to do so basically stopped anti-BGH labeling across the country because it is not feasible for companies such as Ben and Jerry's to label their products differently for individual markets," according to The Washington Post (August 15, 1997).

Ben and Jerry's had sued Illinois last year, charging their ban on the labels violated the company's right to inform their customers of their products' contents.

SARE Requests Proposals for Innovative Marketing

The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is requesting applications for competitive grants addressing Innovative Marketing Strategies.

Priority areas include improving producers marketing relationships with local and regional consumers and businesses, assisting with development of community markets, and examining consumer preferences of local food.

The call for proposals is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/ncrsare. For more information, contact the NCR SARE Office at (402) 472-7081; e-mail sare001@unlvm.unl.edu. Proposals are due January 23, 1998.

Positions

• Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture seeks a part-time administrative assistant to support the staff of the Institute's Agricultural Policy Project. Send resume and cover letter to Kate Clancy, Wallace Institute, 9200 Edmonston Road, #117, Greenbelt, MD 20770.
• Sustainable Agriculture Coalition seeks a policy associate to work on family farm and environmental issues. Call (202) 547- 5754 for complete job announcement. Send cover letter, resume, references, and writing sample to the Coalition, 110 Maryland Ave., NE, Box 76, Washington, D.C. 20002 by October 31.
• Rural Development Leadership Network seeks individuals to earn a degree while working in rural community development. Contact Starry Krueger, President, RDLN, P.O. Box 98, Prince Street Station, New York, N.Y. 10012; (212) 777-9137; e-mail HN1580@handsnet.org.

Pesticides Are Culprits Behind Britain's Disappearing Birds

Great Britain's birds are disappearing, and "the main culprits posing the threat to birds are pesticides, not by killing them directly but by removing the food sources from the fields and hedges on which our birdlife depends," according to an article in Living Earth (July, 1997), published by the Soil Association of England.

"The threat that pesticides pose to farmland wildlife is highlighted graphically by the shocking decline in numbers over the last 25 years of once extremely common birds such as the blackbird, starling, lapwing and tree sparrow," the article says, summarizing the research done by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Pesticide use in Great Britain has been steadily rising since the 1970s: "cereal crops are now sprayed with six times as much fungicide as in the '70s and twice as much herbicide." The Society is pressing for major support for organic farming to combat the birds' decline, the magazine reports.

"In a whole farm system, where there is a range of habitats, where no sprays are used...and where conservation principles are woven into commercial production, the opportunities for wildlife are bound to be greatly enhanced," it concludes.

Swissair Now Serving Organic Food on Its Flights

Swissair is now serving organically-grown products in all classes of its in-flight food service on its flights departing from Switzerland.

"The trend towards healthier foods is increasing all over the globe," according to the airline. "Swissair sees this as a chance to contribute to the health and well-being of its passengers."

In a recent survey of Swissair's frequent flyers, respondents felt that "organically-grown products should be used as much as possible." Within three years, the airline's "Naturalgourmet" organic food service is expected to be expanded to cover Swissair's entire route network, according to the airline, which is working with BioSuisse, the association of Swiss organic farmers, and the Swiss Consumer Protection Association on the project.

Senator Leahy Wins Organic Leadership Award

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), a member of the Wallace Institute's President's Council, is the first recipient of the Organic Trade Association's Organic Leadership Award, which will be presented to him this month. The new award acknowledges "leadership and vision in the furtherance of organic agriculture," and is being given to Senator Leahy for his "leadership in sponsoring the Organic Foods Production Act and his long-standing support of organic agriculture," according to the association. "During his 23-year tenure on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Leahy has been a steadfast supporter of organic agriculture and farmers."

Resources

• "Steel in the Field: A Farmer's Guide to Weed Management Tools" is $18 from Sustainable Agriculture Publications, Hills Building, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0082; (802) 656-0471. Short review.
• "New Opportunities For No-Till Rotations" is $8.95 from No- Till Farmer, P.O. Box 624, Brookfield, WI 53008-0624; 1-800-645- 8455.
• "Good Earth Guide" to organic growers is $5 from Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, P.O. Box 82234, Columbus, OH 43202; (614) 294-3663.
• "Sustainable Agriculture in Montana: Its Social, Economic and Agronomic Impacts" is available from Alternative Energy Resources Organization, 25 S. Ewing, #214, Helena, MT 59601; (406) 443-7272; e-mail aero@desktop.org.
• Sandy Bar Ranch seeks people interested in collective living and permaculture; contact the Ranch, P.O. Box 347, Orleans, CA 95556; (916) 627-3379; e-mail sandybar@earthlink.net.
• "Tough to Swallow: How Pesticide Companies Profit from Poisoning America's Tap Water" is $23 from Environmental Working Group, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, #600, Washington, D.C. 20009; (202) 667-6982; or on the World Wide Web at http://www.ewg.org.

Upcoming Events

For additional listings, see the Sustainable Agriculture Network's Calendar of Events.

• September 30-October 1, Biomass Fuel Cell Power for Rural Development/Ethanol Fuel Cell Workshop will be held in Nebraska City, NE; contact Jean Ku, Energy Research Corporation, (203) 825-6215; e-mail erc!jku@attmail.com.
• October 3, "Provender Alliance's 20th Annual Conference: Cultivating Green Economics" will be held in Wilsonville, OR; contact Kathleen Downey, Provender Alliance, (541) 688-4415; e- mail provender@aol.com.
• October 3-5, "Winning Justice Step by Step," the 4th National Grassroots Convention of the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice (formerly Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste), will be held in Arlington, VA; contact CCHW Convention, P.O. Box 7010, Falls Church, VA 22040; (703) 237- 2249.
• October 4, 3rd Annual PASA Harvest Festival will be held at Walnut Acres Organic Farms in Penns Creek, PA; contact Lauren Shorsher, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, (814) 349-9856.
• October 4, "Hoes Down Harvest Festival," the 11th Annual Celebration of Rural Living, will be held in Guinda, CA; October 5, Organic Farm Bus Tour will be held in Capay Valley, CA; for both events, contact Dru Rivers, Committee for Sustainable Agriculture, PO Box 222, Guinda, CA 95637; (916) 796-3464.
• October 4, Farm Aid '97 concert will be held in Dallas, TX; contact Farm Aid, (617) 354-2922; e-mail Farmaidl@aol.com.
• October 6, "Agricultural Research Institute 46th Annual Meeting: Agricultural Funding Now to Ensure Food for the Future" will be held in Rockville, MD; contact ARI, (301) 530-7122.
• October 6-8, "Partnerships for Global Ecosystem Management: Science, Economics and Law," the 5th Annual World Bank Conference on Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development, will be held in Washington, D.C.; contact the World Bank, ESSD5, Room S7- 040, 1818 H St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20433.
• October 7, "Sustainable Beef Management Workshop" will be held in Springfield, TN; contact Ann Wells or Ron Morrow, NCAT/ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas), 1- 800-346-9140.
• October 11, "Pesticides, Communities, and Change: Celebrating 20 Years of Activism" will be held in Portland, OR; contact Becky Long, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, (541) 344-5044.
• October 15-18, "Local and Global Communities: Complexity and Responsibility," the 9th International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology, will be held in Bar Harbor, ME; contact Dr. Melville Cote, Executive Director, c/o College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609; e-mail sheconference@ecology.coa.edu.
• October 17-19, Biointensive Sustainable Mini-Farming Workshop will be held in Waimea, HI; contact Cynthia Raiser Jeavons, 5798 Ridgewood Road, Willits, CA 95490; (707) 459-0150.
• October 18-22, Water Environment Federation's annual meeting will be held in Chicago, IL; contact WEF, 1-800-666-0206; e-mail confinfo@wef.org; on the World Wide Web, http://www.wef.org.
• October 19-24 or October 26-31, "Herbicide Action," a course on herbicides in plants and the environment, will be held at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN; contact S.C. Weller, (765) 494-1333; or Kathy Hyman, 1-800-359-2968 or (765) 494-2758.
• October 24-26, annual meeting and first national conference of the Community Food Security Coalition will be held in Los Angeles, CA; contact Andy Fisher, CFS Coalition, P.O. Box 209, Venice, CA 90294; (310) 822-5410; e-mail afisher@aol.com.
• October 28-31, "Regenerative Agriculture for the 21st Century" will be held in Kutztown, PA; contact Jane Fisher, Rodale Institute, 611 Siegfriedale Road, Kutztown, PA 19530; (610) 683-1428; e-mail Jfishe@rodaleinst.org.

Home News & Events Alternative Agriculture News -- September '97