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4/19/04
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1. Invasive Species Munch Away At Natural Heritage
2.
Farmer Action! Keep Organic Standards High
3. BSE
Scare Boosts Organic Sales
4. China Discusses Sustainable
Agriculture
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1. INVASIVE MUNCH AWAY AT NATURAL HERITAGE
Emerald ash borer.
Asian long-horned beetle. Balsam wooly adelgid.
Chestnut blight. Dogwood anthracnose. The Snakehead.
If their names sound bad, the ecological and economic impacts of
these invasive species are even worse: invasive species cost the
American economy upwards of $137 billion per year. The toll to
the environment extends well beyond dollars and cents.
According to a recent article in the Washington Post,
"nearly half of all endangered and threatened species in
the United States are at risk because of invaders that are
severely disrupting natural ecosystems."
While Republican
and Democratic lawmakers alike scramble to enact legislation to
protect ecosystems in their states, with unfettered global
trade, the imports of invasive species -- both intentional and
accidental – continue on a massive scale. A recent
Washington Post article suggests the U.S. approach to prevention
is inadequate.
On top of a "lethargic" approach
to "pathways" of entry, customs procedures are slow to
respond to warnings. In the case of the snakehead fish,
for instance, scientists spent 30 years warning about the
pending problem before it was finally banned. Only a
fraction of imported cargo is inspected, and documents
certifying fumigation of cargo are frequently forged.
Current efforts, says one citrus grower, are "a Band-aid
over a cancer that is eating us up." Read the full
article.
2. FARMER ACTION! KEEP ORGANIC STANDARDS
HIGH
To bring public attention to the giant multi-nationals
increasingly investing in organics, a new "think tank"
called the Cornucopia Institute, has formed to ensure the
organic process remains true to the high ideals and standards
consumers expect. As one of their first actions the
Institute will be helping organic farmers provide comments to
the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) during an upcoming
meeting of the board next week in Chicago. (April 28th).
If you are an organic farmer and want to ensure that corporate
influence doesn't undermine the integrity or the industry you
have fought to create, contact them today. Send an e-mail to organic@cornucopia.org
describing yourself, your farm location, size, and what you
produce. The Institute will help you craft your message and, if
you cannot attend, they will arrange for an organic consumer who
cares about family farmers, to read your comments.
3. BSE SCARE BOOSTS ORGANIC SALES
As consumers learn more
about the dangers and reality of mad cow disease (BSE), more are
buying organic. While the overall organic foods sector
continues to grow approximately 20% per year, since the
outbreaks of BSE in Canada and the U.S., the organic meat sector
is booming. In 2003, the Canadian market expanded by a
whopping 35% and U.S. markets are expected to show similar
growth in 2004. As organic markets evolve, so does the
interest of investors.
To quantify financial trends, the
Irish based Research and Markets Institute has released a
detailed report analyzing North American organic meat production
of beef, poultry and pork. The
report includes market
sizes (volumes and revenues), growth forecasts (2004-2010), and
market trends. It also gives profiles of the leading
organic meat companies and retailers, as well as information on
pricing, distribution, marketing channels, and consumer behavior
for the US and Canadian markets. Created for the serious
investor, the report sells for a whopping $956.00 Euros (about
$1,000 U.S.)
4. CHINA DISCUSSES SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Last week
dozens of agricultural experts from around the world convened in
Beijing. Their purpose was to resolve a dilemma that
China, like the rest of the world, now faces; how to feed a
growing population without depleting and damaging the
environment.
Sponsored by the United Nations, the
conference was intended to explore sustainable agriculture and
create a dialogue between scientists and policy-makers.
Training and education were cited as key components in a country
where industrialized agriculture is the prevailing trend.
Qu Dongyu, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences said, "Due to poor agricultural resource
management practices in some areas in the past, certain fertile
lands were converted to non-agricultural uses and some are
threatened by degradation from erosion, nutrient mining, water
logging and salinization." Read the article.
Cultivating a vision where rural and urban communities join together
to ensure abundant family farms, healthy critters, clean water and a wild Earth.
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Rural Updates!
Scotty Johnson and Aimee Delach
National Rural Community Outreach Campaign
sjohnson@defenders.org
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