Tuesday April 29th 2003 
Organic Food Industry "scaring the pants off people" The Hudson Institute are trotting out another spokesman on organics. Someone must have decided that the Avery clan are now over-exposed (caught with their pants down too often?). Michael Fumento, described as a "senior fellow" of the US ultra-conservative organisation, is now been given a gallop. He tries to make the case that " The organic industry has made a strategic error by demonising conventionally grown foods which may be engineered to contain trace amounts of synthetic pesticides." Fumento fumes further "..organic farming is more expensive and produces less attractive fruits and vegetables than conventional farming. Despite an impressive growth rate, the category has achieved only a small market share. So, to stay competitive, the organic industry devised a strategy of scaring the pants off people over the alleged risks of even trace amounts of synthetic pesticides." 
What can you say? 
Have you anything to say?
I won't dignify this rot by giving you their web address - find it yourself if you feel like a bit of intellectual slumming.

Food and environmental toxins degrading childrens' health 
On the other hand here is some solid if depressing information from a respectable source.* It is in interesting counterpoint to the PR babble above from the Hudson Institute.
To a large extent it also explains why the chemical industry can get away with so much, and lazy (if not downright complicit!) government pesticide control organisations escape their responsibilities. See highlighted para below.
Bette Hilman* reviews the results of a recent meeting of US experts on children's health. This is my quick summary: 


* Bette Hileman is Senior Editor, Chemical & Engineering News,
a publication of the American Chemical Society. See the full article, "Children's Health," published
in Chemical & Engineering News April 7, 2003, pps. 23-26 and  www.rachel.org for this and similar articles.

Here today; in Ireland, 20 years' time - maybe? California, the Sunshine state, still outshines any other area on the planet with its organic powerhouse of 40,000 acres of organic vegetables and 30,000 acres of fruit. The state is also home to over 1,000 organic businesses. 
And contrary to what the Averys/Fumento/Hudson Inst. say, there's no sign of a drop in demand. According to Karen Klonsky, agricultural economist at the University of California, Davis, "natural food stores are going gangbusters" (that does mean ballistic, doesn't it?).

Fischler's pro-GM stance to run into Green wall  Franz Fischler, EU Ag Comm is now showing his true pro-GM colours. He is however being closely monitored by the grouping, Green/European Free Alliance.
Walsh Euro MP Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru - the Party of Wales), and also Green/EFA spokesperson, has voiced serious concerns about the motives of the European Commission in organising a seminar on the co-existence of GM and non GM crops in the EU in Brussels recently. The seminar was addressed by Fischler who spoke of his hope that the discussion would help bring about 'the co-existence of conventional and organic agriculture with genetically modified crops in the EU'.
Ms Evans says; In Wales as in other parts of Europe we have seen overwhelming public opposition to the wholesale introduction of GM crops. Today's event - and Commissioner Fischler's remarks - clearly signal that the European Commission is set on paving the way for genetic engineering in European agriculture.
The Commission would do well to heed the advice of Parliament on this issue which proposed Europe-wide legislation to require member states to establish measures to prevent GM contamination.
What is urgently needed at this stage in the GMO debate is serious discussion on how we establish measures to prevent GMOs contaminating conventional and organic food, feed and seed. Conventional and organic farmers producing for the vast majority of European consumers who reject GM food should not be made responsible for the prevention of GMO contamination. This is obviously something that should apply instead to the producers and users of GMOs. The "polluter pays" principle must be maintained otherwise the polluted will end up having to pay and once again the consumer would be the loser". See Fischlers speeches at http://europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/fischler/index_en.htm. Also look at the Commission's website for organic food and farming; http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/qual/organic/index_en.htm

When is organic not organic? When it's used to describe an "organic experience", it seems, as opposed to organic ingredients. Interesting, if slightly surreal debate raging in the beautiful-peoples' state on the organic labelling of body-care products. One of the brands getting the Californians' goat is Proctor and Gamble's, Clairol Herbal Essences. Their use of "organic" describes the "shampooing experience" only, they contend, not the contents. See Los Angeles Times 22nd April.

Ja. German is a wonderful language indeed  I defer completely to a German correspondent who has very correctly pulled me up on my use of "Gaunereiirensupermarkte" (with an umlaut over the last "a") to describe " Rip-off Irish Supermarkets". Gaunereiirensupermärkte" (he obviously has an umlaut yoke on his keyboard) he tells me " makes somehow (not great) sense, but is very bad grammar." The expression that best fits what I want to say, my informant insists, is "Irische Halsabschneider Supermärkte" (got that umlaut by cutting and pasting) which literally translated, I am assured, means "Irish cut-throat supermarkets". Next time I'll just refer to them as bastards (Hunde?).
The same visitor points out that perhaps Aldi and Lidle are not beyond putting their mitts (npi) in the cookie jar either;  one example is a can of beer in Lidl Ireland costing € 1.19 - same in Lidl Deutschland, € 0.29!* But to be fair, there is the little extra bit - the highest alcohol tax in Europe! - that we pay  Charlie McGreedy for the great privilege of continuing to live here and occasionally affording a drink.

*That sounds just like the unit price of my favourite beer, Lidl's Bergadler Premium Pils - brewed in accordance with the mediaeval Deutschen Reinheitsgebot. I will not be put off however, as the Bergadler is cheaper than almost anything else on the Irish market and is as superior to the likes of Heineken/Bud/Carlsberg as nectar is to cats' malarkey. In horror of the dreaded pub scenario, "Everything's off except the Smithwicks", I have been known to smuggle in a few Bergadlers. Once I was caught drinking it and asked to leave - for not paying the rent! 

Thursday 24th April 2003 
So Shall we Reap when published in September 2003, by Penguin, will be well worth buying. The author, Colin Tudge, is visiting research fellow at the Centre for  Philosophy of Natural and Social Science at the London School of Economics. The book deals with world agriculture and the role of science within it. Tudge is a GM sceptic. 

Done Deal Undone  Remember the story of the sneak amendment to a US bill going through the legislature? (See Archived Weekly News 11th March, Deal cut a deal and Weapons of mass deception, 24th Feb). Basically, Rep. Senator Nathan Deal slipped in a small clause into a complex bill to allow non-organic feed to be used for organic livestock if the price of organic feedstuffs went above a certain level. 
When it was seen for what it was, many in the organic movement perceived it as a kite-flying exercise to see whather the strict National Organic Programme standards could be diluted. 
For a short while it was law in the US, but a hurricane of protest was aroused and, within an extraordinarily short time, by 12th April, an amendment to the offending clause was passed by both Houses. 
Government and legislators were stunned at the pressure that was brought to bear on them to repeal the Deal clause. Even the Secretary for Agriculture, Ann Veneman, not noted normally for her support of organic farming, was eventually in favour of repealing the Deal legislation. 
The model standards of the National Organic Programme are still intact and there is much justifiable glee among organic activists. 
The clear, undiluted message sent out is: Mess with the bench-marking standards of the NOP at your political peril! 

Gaunereiirensupermarkte (with an umlaut over the last "a") is the German for "Rip-off Irish supermarkets". Would one of my German-speaking visitors verify this?

Bia Céad (? My Irish!) Around at a friend's house last night, I saw a brilliant TG 4 programme - by accident. It was all about globalisation, the agri-giants, bullying of developing countries by WTO, WB and IMF, industrial agriculture and its catastrophic effects on world hunger etc. 
David Rosset, Anuraaha Mittel (beautiful woman!) of Food First and Dr David Korten of Positive Futures Network were featured. Wonderful to hear and see these people at long last.
Didn't get the beginning and don't have a schedule of programmes, so can't tell you its name but it was on between 11 and 12 pm. And again, if my Irish is up to scratch, I think they said it will be repeated next week. Help! 

Woe to the rubbishers, for they shall be rubbished  As I hadn't heard of any response (have you?) forthcoming from anywhere else in the organic community to the scurrilous "article" in the Indo last week, I clicked out my own thoughts and zapped it off. I've been told it was published but I haven't seen it yet. Anyone?

To the Editor of the Irish Independent.
Maeve Dineen's item on Tuesday's Farming supplement, "Organic farming rubbished" is very old hat. Alex and Dennis Avery of the right-wing American think-tank, the Hudson Institute, have been saying these things about organic farming for years. That's what they are paid to do by their corporate sponsors, which include many multinational agri-businesses such as Monsanto.
They, and their anti-organic, pro-GM intensive farming propaganda have been exposed and discredited several times.
The Avery's and their colleagues' favourite lines are "There is no advantage, health or nutrition-wise in buying organic food." They ask, " Where is the scientific evidence of the benefits of organic farming?"
Well there are many substantial advantages, and there is also hard, scientific evidence to support them. The most recent is research from California that shows organic crops have over 50% more cancer-fighting flavonoids than conventional food. This and other papers, such as "Organic farming is as viable as conventional", "Organic farming can feed the world" are detailed on my website www.planorganic.com (open News&Comment page and click on "Answering the organic attacks...").
The articles that I list are scientific, peer-reviewed research that clearly demonstrate the benefits of organic food and farming.
None of what the Averys say or publish is peer-reviewed or backed with accurate scientific information.
It is in a way flattering to the organic community that the Averys and others like them are targeting organic farming with such negative propaganda.
But it's easy to see why they would - world-wide sales of organic food are now worth more than $25 billion and growing at over 25%. The organic sector has now overtaken the market for GM crops in value terms and it's debatable whether the controversy-ridden GM industry is going to grow any further at all.
No wonder they are worried. Billions are at stake and in the absence of facts they try to make their money talk through spin merchants like the Averys. It must be very galling for the industry that they have to pay extravagantly to have their angles projected, whereas the organic movement largely relies on unfunded people like myself to make their case.
A look at the evidence I point to will undoubtedly show that it is the anti-organic lobby that's "rubbished".
Sincerely etc.

And, whilst I was in letter-writing mode, I sent a dart winging its way to the esteemed editor of the Daily Mail in response to the item below. Somebody watch the Mail for me on this? I'll publish if they publish!

Tuesday 22nd April 2003
Eat organic for your health, not for flavour* (This is the title of a letter to the editor of the Daily Mail**,10th April, in reply to an article The Great Organic Con previously published in the paper. Anyone see the original? It's not available online. Send me a copy of same, if you will? 
I was astonished to read the Great Organic Con (Mail), as the four women interviewed appear to believe that eating organic is mainly about food tasting better. Have they any idea what the cocktail of pesticides in all our food - not just fruit and vegetables - can do to some peoples's health? 
Wheat, for example, concentrates pesticides in its grain more than any other cereal. It does not matter how fresh your food is if it is  full of pesticides.
My 25-year -old daughter Kat was very ill for many years with ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) before I discovered that she was actually suffering from organophosphate pesticide sensitivity.
I have since done an enormous amount of research on this subject. 
Scientists are discovering that there are certain people who have this genetic sensitivity and the discovery is also linked with other illnesses such as some cancers, diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinson's, Gulf War Syndrome and sheep dippers' flu. 
My daughter now eats a totally organic diet and her health has improved enormously. Having missed almost three years of school through chronic ill health, she is back studying for seven GCSEs. She lost most of her childhood, but her organic diet means she can now enjoy the good health that most youngsters take for granted. Annie Hewitt, Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

* The August, 2002 issue of the UK magazine, Country Smallholding, had a fine article - Go organic-for the sake of your health! - by smallholder and author Piers Warren. See, www.countrysmallholding.com 
**I don't read the Mail - it was used in packing some s/h computer gear I received from a well-wisher.

Powerful alternatives off the grid.  By the end of this summer I hope to have all alternative power. I am currently (!) off the grid but I use a friend's supply to charge batteries and, I'm ashamed to say, a back-up petrol generator - albeit a small one. However by the end of the summer, at least in the power department, I'm going to be as pure as driven snow.
I have recently been donated an array of second-hand, marine quality Solarex panels. I need more bits, but I have jury-rigged a few panels to charge batteries for the computer and the tractor - it's like magic - power from the sun.
From the same generous source, I have also acquired a single cylinder, diesel generator that, although looks a bit worse for wear, has a fabulous engine. The dynamo/generator bit however is not producing the goods and, having dismantled it, I can't really find anything wrong. I was expecting to find brushes that I could just simply free up but this kiddo is a bit more complicated. If anybody out there would like to help.....? 
In the meantime, in anticipation of getting the generator resuscitated, I have been looking up recipes for bio-diesel. I found what I wanted at; www.veggiepower.org.uk (I love their description of the smell of the rapeseed oil/diesel mix, "like popcorn or French fries").

Saturday 19th April 2003
Organic farming rubbished. The Irish Independent carried a small but prominent item, Organic farming rubbished, in last Tuesday's Farming supplement. It wasn't journalism by any name, but simply a relay of a weary old press release by the infamous right-wing American think-tank, the Hudson Institute.Yes, you all know of it (if you've been reading my site regularly) and the two Averys, Dinny and Al, whose pro-GM/intensive agriculture and virulent anti-organic views are now notorious.
I am looking forward to seeing or hearing the outcry from the Irish organic organisations at this cheap chirrup from the Indo. My budget doesn't stretch to a subscription to a cuttings service, so, if you would be my eyes on this, I would be grateful. jim@planorganic.com 

Echo from New Zealand The view in the following extract from an interview with the ardent anti-GM activist Alannah Currie could equally apply to Ireland or the UK. 
"It makes no sense. New Zealand is an island nation that sits in glorious isolation in the South Pacific. With vigilant border controls, we could protect our unique GM-free status. We have the perfect opportunity for the whole country to be GM-free and to capitalise on our green image, not only environmentally but also economically. We could put our scientific knowledge and funding towards organic, sustainable farming and provide food for the world that is natural, varied and rich in the spirit of our land." 
And the way to achieve all this, says Ms Currie, in the face of the vacuity and absence of vision of political and agricultural leaders, is through consumer power;
"Our greatest strength, though, is as consumers. We all have purse power and each and every one of us can exercise it as we choose."  

Tuesday 15th April 2003
Sex in the Country  I mentioned the Danish research on sperm counts of organic farmers yesterday. Whilst I don't want to dwell too much on it - for fear of being accused of something or other - it seems I'm not the only one to remember that distant orgasmic research. An organic box scheme operator in England, accepting the Soil Association award for Organic Business Person of the Year recently, throws some further light on the subject. Guy Watson, of the mightily successful Riverford Organic Farm*, said that not only did the Danish findings confirm that healthy fertility follows an organic diet, but twice as many of the samples from organic volunteers had to be rejected because their donors had sex in the previous 48 hours (part of the sampling controls). 
I'm not certain, but I think this means that organic farmers are having twice as much sex as conventionl farmers! 
In any case, Guy Watson, ever marketing oriented, went on to speculate that "The clear conclusion must be that if you chomp your way through a veg box each week, you are unlikely to need Viagra - but you better make sure of your contraception."

* Riverford Organic Farm and its franchisees distribute 5,500 vegetable boxes throughout southern England.The majority of the produce is locally grown. Contact mail@riverford.co.uk and  www.riverford.co.uk  

Fear the Danes  Talking about organic box schemes and Danish sex surveys, there is an even more successful box scheme operating in Denmark. Referred to by its founder, Thomas Harttung, as the "Organic Full Monty" the Aarstiderne Project supplies 30,000 boxes per week! Turnover at almost € 20 million, represents 7% of total national organic sales. The Full Monty soubriquet arises because, Thomas claims, all aspects of the business are laid bare for inspection - by anyone, anytime. That's coming clean! 
The formidable Dane has an insight he wants to share with us all: “The greatest impediment to an organic future are the supply chains that operate intransparently (sic) and without a fair sharing of risks and rewards". 

Fatal Harvest ; The Tragedy of  Industrial Agriculture, edited by Andrew Kimbrell*, and published by the, intriguing sounding, Foundation for Deep Ecology through Island Press.
I have had a review copy of this book for some time, and enjoyed reading it immensely. Fatal Harvest takes an unprecedented look at our industrial way of producing food and attempts to detail a new ecological and humane vision for agriculture. Profusely illustrated with over 250 colour photographs showing the current state of our agricultural crisis, the book also features essays from more than 40 leading environmental thinkers, including Wendell Berry, Jerry Mander, Helena Norberg-Hodge, Vandana Shiva, and Alice Waters. 
I will have the full review shortly on the Publications page but, in the meantime, just take my word for it (or check Amazon or Google for reviews) - and get it!
Hardback £ 62.50
Softback £37.50
Reader edition (Text without the illustrations) £14.50
UK postage £ 2.00
Irish and other EU £ 4.00 
Support the publication(in anycase it may not be in the bookshops) by ordering straight from the publishers at ;

The Eurospan Group 
Island Press
3,Henrietta Street,
Covent Garden,
London, WC 2 E8LU
Email; colin.pierce@eurospan.co.uk 

*Public interest attorney, activist and author Andrew Kimbrell is considered to be one of the world's leading visionaries. Kimbrell is the Executive Director of the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) and the Center for Food Safety (CFS) in Washington, D.C.

GM crops: Do we need them? Are they safe? These questions are to be the subject matter of a one-day conference in London coming up next month. It will be based at Kings College on 10th May and free tickets can be had by emailing ticket@i-sis.org.uk
Speakers will include, David Bellamy, Dr Mae-Wan Ho and Dr Arpad Pusztai (he of the famous toxic GM potato row) and several others.

Go West, Young Man, to a seminar in lovely Westport hosted by the Mayo Organic Group. The two-day event 10th - 11th May will include, Identifying Local Plants, Spirit of the Garden, Herbs into Ointments, and Sustainable Forestry. Judith Hoad will be one of the speakers. Details from Joanna Moran, 098 42010 and Colm Cronin at cronin@anu.ie 

Greepeace to torpedo Monsanto  Aimed at hitting where it hurts most - the corporate  wallet - Grenpeace will launch a report on the finacial status of the GM giant, Monsanto, tomorrow. The report, commissioned from Innovest, is expected to warn investors about weaknesses in Monsanto's strategies on GM foods and seeds. See it when it hits the streets at www.greenpeace.org 

Easter Eggs  Before you splash out on the much-inflated, seasonal offerings, look at David Storey's Organic Diary, 'Snap' decision gives Easter its taste. And, whilst you're there, see the piece The Irish Organic Sector: Busy going nowhere. www.organicmattersmag.com 

Cornwall goes GM-free  Cornwall County Council recently voted 53 to 4 to have the Duchy declared a no-go area for GM crops. They will also endeavour to purchase only GM-free goods and services for the county. Other councils have voted similarly. 
Local papers were flooded with messages of congratulations.
Time for such motions to be put to Irish local governing bodies? 

Dogs' Dinner You will be pleased to know that such things as pigs' ears do not end up in Irish sausages. Instead, dried, they are sold as dog's playthings.
A lot else however does end up in the limp, pink things, including limp, pink things, and other "unmentionables", according to Dr Kenny of the National Food Centre. 
But the EU, ever our food watch-dog, is introducing a new directive on 1st July to make sure that meat is meat and what's not meat, such as lips, vulvas, udders tongues, hearts and stomach contents is defined as such and labeled as such. Would this lead to such product descriptions as Dinny's Silver Labia Sausages or puddingless Conaquilty Black Puddings?
If your stomach is still in the southern position after that, I offer my delicious recipe for organic homemade sausages, without the pinkish bits (I hope! Martin, you wouldn't, would you?) to anyone emailing me. jim@planorganic.com  

Jewish paper passes judgement on organics  Wonderful where you find interesting bits and pieces on the Web. The Jewish World Review this week has an item Deciphering Organic Food Labels. The source may be exotic but the content is pedestrian. But have a look anyway.  http://jewishworldreview.com/0403/health_ex041403.asp

People Lost  Anybody know Irish organic farmers Oliver and Saskia Sullivan? Contact details for them would be appreciated by a site visitor from Germany.

People Found  I am continuously amazed at where visitors to the site come from. The latest exotic is one from an ice cream seller in the US Virgin Islands. And he was looking for the Prof Mitchell paper - see April Fool Not below, 1st April.

Monday 14th April 2003 
Food for fat - Organic farmers to come under the microscope? 
What causes obesity? A silly question, you might say. Sure we all know the answers to that! But  do we, really? 
Eating and drinking too much, too little exercise, or a combination of both, and,  perhaps, also combined with a genetic disposition to be over-weight, would be the usual suspects, you might say. 
But you could be wrong.
According to a paper published by Dr Paula Baillie-Hamilton, Chemical Toxins: A Hypothesis to Explain the Global Obesity Epidemic, the current world-wide obesity epidemic cannot simply be explained by overeating and inactivity. The problem may instead lie with the hugely expanded production and usage of   synthetic chemicals in the last five decades. Environmental factors, like the widespread use of growth promoters, she argues, are much more likely to be the causative factors in obesity than genetics. Although a definite link has not yet been established, the author says, the close coincidence of the appearance of certain weight-promoting chemicals in our environment and an obesity epidemic, cannot be ignored. 
One of the areas of further research she suggests is "to compare farmers who farm organically to farmers who farm conventionally." *
http://ramiro.ingentaselect.com/vl=25265194/cl=11/nw=1/rpsv/catchword/
mal/10755535/v8n2/s13/p185  Click on the PDF option to get full article. If you experience difficulties, I can send you a copy - jim@planorganic.com 

* Would it be found that organic farmers are thinner than their conventional colleagues? How would you factor in that organic farmers probably work off more of their calories (definitely the horticulural fellows anyway) than their sitting-on-machines counterparts. Would the Danish research that showed that organic farmers had a higher sperm count have anything to do with energy output? A hard one!

Friday 4th April 2003 
Cheap Labour? Are you a substantial organic horticulturalist? Are you plagued with labour problems in those salad days when you have at least some tiny chance of making a few bob: about to give up on most WWOOFers as being, although cheap, unpredictable, lazy, or liable to run off with your partner or worse, your car? 
Well, this might be the answer to your prayers. Two hundred and fifty willing students from Eastern European countries will be given special visas to come to Ireland this year. And they are looking for host employers.
The Seasonal Horticultural Workers Scheme, as it's called, run last year as a pilot, is now going full throttle. A Bord Glas/Macra na Feirme initiative, it is a decent attempt to tackle the problems of a shortage in seasonal workers here and a lack of opportunity there. The visas will be issued from 1st May to 31st October. Through their contacts with Eastern European (Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and the Ukraine) agricultural colleges, the Irish initiators of the scheme have already chosen the students. So, visitors - PLEASE DO NOT APPLY (to me or anybody else) FOR JOBS.
Unlike the WWOOFers' setup, however, you can't dictate your own terms. These are not spailpeens - and you are expected to be a good ambassaor for Ireland in your dealings withe these kids.
Only apply to offer employment if: a) you can give at least 12 weeks work - preferably the  full six months: b) pay the minimum wage - at present, if you didn't already know it, € 6.51 per hour, and c) arrange, suitable local accomodation for the workers.
And, again, unlike the WWOOFers' scheme, it will be policed. Your workplace and the proffered accomodation will be checked out, probably by someone from Macra. 
Apart from all that, I'm sure the scheme will find favour with many hard-pressed  horticulturalists. Last year no organic growers applied.That may have been because they didn't hear of it. This time there is no excuse. It will be interesting to see if anybody wants to be weaned off WWOOFers.
Contact;  declan.fennell@bordglas.ie 

Bloody Bloodstock Industry The Irish bloodstock industry got a bit of a pasting on RTE Radio 1(Today with Pat Kenny) this morning. Andrew Tyler of UK-based Animal Aid dished out gruesome data on racehorses, "inbred", "raced to death"; "rape" (of mares that is), diseases, exhaustion, broken bones etc etc. 
Only one third of horses bred for racing make it to the starting post today, he maintained, compared to 80% long ago. The ones that don't make the grade, Tyler says, "...end up as pet food, are fed to hunting hounds or are exported or sold from owner to owner in a downward spiral of neglect." Tyler further points out that 27 horses have died in the Grand National since 1997. "Behind the friendly public image is a ruthless industry motivated by vanity and commercial gain".
The plummy, as you'd expect, spokesman from the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, Dr Des Leaden, had little to say apart from sounding plummy and quoting a "peer reviewed" study from Trinity College (it would be, wouldn't it) from 20 odd years ago and that "...the report was very selective".
Tyler's original article Riding for a Fall and much more about this subject can be seen on www.animalaid.org.uk . Email them at, info@animalaid.org.uk 
See also my articles in Archived News on "organic" bloodstock.

Solar Panel meets in Tipperary  The Tipperary Institute, Thurles, Co Tipperary is the venue today for the first general meeting of the Irish Solar Energy Association. Michael Lyons of the Cork City Energy Association is chairing the meeting. If it's interesting, I will report the outcome next week. If I don't, and you are interested contact, michael_lyons@corkcity.ie 

Lessening Children's Pesticide Exposure
More peer-reviewed research has just come to hand. Researchers at the University of Washington compared the organophosphate (OP) pesticide metabolite levels of Seattle pre-school children. They found that children who consumed mostly (75%) organic fruits, vegetables, and juices had significantly lower OP pesticide exposure than those who consumed conventional foods. According to EPA guidelines on pesticide levels those children consuming organic produce were at "neglible risk".
Studies suggest that chronic low-level exposure to OP pesticides may affect neurological functioning, neurodevelopment, and growth in children.Obviously if the children had followed a completely organic diet the results would have been even more favourable.

Organic beats the bunch Good response to article below on Prof Mitchell's paper. 

Tuesday 1st April 2003
April Fool Not 
If I were to tell you that out of the west would come a star, a star of hope for organics, this being the day that it is, you might think I'm having a little fun at your expense.|
Well, I have found such a star, and I assure you I'm not joking.
What's been hugely lacking in the field of organic research so far is hard evidence, peer-reviewed, that organic produce has health or nutritional advantages over conventional produce. 
That evidence is now firmly in the arena.
Professor Alyson Mitchell of the University of California, Davis, has shown organic crops can have up to 54% more flavonoids (the very same anti-oxidant, cancer-fighting stuff that makes cranberries such a strongly recommended health product ) than conventional produce. 
The research is published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2003, 51, 1237 - 1241.( I can, if you have difficulty finding this, give you the full article, kindly and promptly supplied by Prof. Mitchell. Email me at; Jim@planorganic.com ) 
Prof. Alyson pondered that human health-giving flavonoids are a product of plants reacting to pests in their environment. Remove the pests in conventional crops with pesticides, she wondered, and would the plants produce less flavonoids? 
A commercial company wanted her to do comparative tests of their produce for flavonoid levels. Among the samples sent to the laboratory were some from their few organic suppliers. The company's main interest was the effect of differing processing systems, air-drying, freeze, blast-drying, on flavonoid levels in fruit and vegetables. 
Prof. Alyson and their team also decided to investigate comparative growing systems. 
The results were a resounding Yes! for higher levels of flavonoids in organic and sustainably-grown produce (and freeze-drying was shown to be the most favourable processing method for preserving TPs).
The professor's own words best describe her motivations: "There is a growing concern that the levels of some phenolics may be lower than optional for human health in foods using conventional agricultural practices. This concern arises because conventional agricultural practices utilize levels of pesticides and fertilizers that can result in a disruption of the natural production of phenolic matabolites in the plant."
Prof. Mitchell sums up the  breakthrough nature of this research: "To our knowledge we show for the first time a correlation between the applied agricultural systems (organic, sustainable and conventional) of TPs (total phenolic) in marionberries, strawberries and corn..."
This research will be much discussed, I'm sure, and will undoubtedly, when they sniff it out, attract the attention and opposition of the agri-business, pro-GM giants. This is a result that will shake them to their very foundations. 
And it comes at a critical time in the overall debate between organic and conventional systems as the value of the organic sector worldwide equals, at $25 billion, that of GM produce. 
The UC Davis team produced this research on shoe-string resources - total cost approx. $35,000.  Prof. Mitchell hopes to get more funds together in the very near future to enable her team to continue to explore the incidence of flavonoids in other fruit and vegetables grown under different agricultural systems. 
Let's hope she gets the money to do this extremely valuable work. Let us also hope that her work will not be interfered with as has so often happened with other researchers who produce results unfavourable to the transnational conventional food industry.
Copywrite; Jim O'Connor, Planorganic.com

Budding Farmers' Market  I've just heard about a developing market in Ennis, Co.Clare. It takes place on Saturdays, from 9 am to 2 pm. 
It wouldn't yet be a full-blown farmers' market, but you can certainly buy lots of great vegetables there. Normally, two certified organic growers are present supplemented by a couple of non-certified organic producers. Moves are on to upgrade the market and, in the near future, it is hoped to have more producers and a wider range of produce. 

"Where the bee sucks...."  Organic honey? How can you guarantee that bees will only visit organic plants? Can somebody enlighten me as to what the criteria are for producing organic honey? 
I love my honey and am always on the prowl for the perfect nectar.
I tried a  jar of Healey's Organic Honey recently. They are based in Ballincollig , Co.Cork. It was not my taste however, too strong and syrupy, and I won't be buying it again. Apparently it is imported - from where, they don't say - and is certified by the Irish Organic Trust. 
On the other hand, I bought, last weekend in Clare, non-certified Burren Wildflower Honey which is sensational, delicate and intoxicatingly perfumed. It is so good that I may add it to my gourmet porridge! 
The label describes it as "Pure and natural, unheated and coarse filtered honey 
from Ben Johnson's apiaries in the Burren, Co.Clare".
Although it's a long, long way from Clare to here, I will be buzzing to get more of this great honey sent down to me.
They've got a lot of things wrong in Co. Clare but this honey's not one of them
Which would you buy? 

Grand Slam Not  At least not for Ireland. The Angles; they came, they played, they slaughtered, they won. Even the ignorance of their foul-mouthed captain, Johnson and his insult to the President cannot detract from the thoroughness of their defeat of Ireland.
So much expectation... 
If only we had got in a try before half-time, spirit might have carried the day.

Feedback  Reaction to the aricle last week, Irish Organic Magazine - what a waste! is a bit like the proportion of the English to the Irish score in the rugby match , 7 to 1; i.e. seven in favour of what I reported - one against. One of the seven, once deeply involved with the running of IOFGA, spent a long phonecall last night giving me his strongly-held views.