10/22/04

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1. The Good: Organic Farming Boost Biodiversity
2 The Bad: Agricultural Efforts Needed To Save Water
3. The Ugly: Monsanto's GMO's Continue To Litter Canada
4. More Good: Protecting The Seventh Generation

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1. THE GOOD NEWS: ORGANIC FARMING BOOSTS 
BIODIVERSITY 

A massive review of the literature comparing organic farming to 
conventional practices has found a striking conclusion: that 
"Organic farming increases biodiversity at every level of the food 
chain all the way from lowly bacteria to mammals." The review 
compiled 76 studies from Europe, Canada, New Zealand and the 
United States, making it the largest ever compendium on the 
impacts of organic farming on biodiversity The fact that this 
phenomenon occurs all the way up the food chain is new 
information, says agricultural scientist Martin Entz of the University 
of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. The research teams concluded 
that "organic farming aids biodiversity by using fewer pesticides and 
inorganic fertilizers, and by adopting wildlife-friendly management 
of habitats where there are no crops, including strategies such as 
not weeding close to hedges, and by mixing arable and livestock 
farming." As all good farmers know; a healthy ecosystem means 
long term productivity.

For more information, visit: 
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996496

2. THE BAD: AGRICULTURAL EFFORTS NEEDED TO 
SAVE WATER

In a separate study, which reminds us how far we still need to go, 
Cornell University researchers studying water shortages have 
named farmers, particularly those in the U.S. as "the prime target 
for incentives to conserve water." According to the study, 
agriculture in the United States consumes 80 percent of the 
available fresh water each year; and 60 percent of U.S. water 
intended for crop irrigation never reaches the crops. The 
researchers recommended better efforts to match crops to climates 
in order to rely less on irrigation; limitation of water subsidies that 
lack incentives for conservation; wider use of water and soil 
conserving practices, from drip irrigation to cover crops; efforts to 
limit water pollution; and protection of wetlands, forests, and 
stream buffers.
http://www.innovations-
report.com/html/reports/agricultural_sciences/report- 35146.html

3. THE UGLY: MONSANTO'S GMO'S CONTINUE TO 
LITTER CANADA.

Chemical giant Monsanto is facing a second round of legal battles 
with a Saskatchewan family farmer over genetically modified foods. 
Louise Schmeiser has filed papers with a small claims court in 
Humboldt, Sakkatchewan seeking $140 in damages from 
Monsanto. She says that is what it cost her to remove a number of 
Monsanto's genetically engineered Roundup Ready canola plants 
that inserted themselves into her organic garden. Louise is the wife 
of Percy Schmeiser, the man Monsanto accused of illegally growing 
its gmo canola without a license. Percy Schmeiser fought 
Monsanto for seven years in the courts arguing that the gmo canola 
had blown in from a neighbors fields or hitchhiked on passing seed 
trucks. Monsanto finally won the case in May, as the Supreme 
Court of Canada ruled that it can control the use of its canola plant 
because it holds a patent on a gene in its seed that allows it to 
survive the spraying of the pesticide Roundup. The Schmeiser's are 
far from giving up. In fact, Percy is acting as his wife's legal 
counsel in the latest court action.

For commentary by David Suzuki on the problems caused by 
genetic drift see: http://www.communitypress-
online.com/template.php?id=17561&RECORD_KEY(News)=id&i
d(News)=17561

4. MORE GOOD: PROTECTING THE SEVENTH 
GENERATION

This Saturday, October 23rd, the E.F. Shumacher Society will be 
sponsoring an event that will be inspiring to all concerned about 
sustainability and community. The conference, entitled, "Visionaries 
Among Us," is the focus of the twenty fourth annual E. F. 
Schumacher lectures to be held in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. 
The event the year will feature Chief Oren Lyons, author, professor, 
writer, and Chief and faith keeper of the Turtle Clan of the 
Onondaga people. He will be joined by Judy Wicks, a passionate 
spokesperson for local food production and founder of BALLE, 
and Stephanie Mills, revered author and eloquent observer of the 
natural world. The lectures will be held from 10:00 - 5:00 PM, 
First Congregational Church, Main Street, Stockbridge, 
Massachusetts. 

For lecture schedules, details and map see: 
http://www.smallisbeautiful.org/frameset_events.html 

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