news Jan 03

Monday 13th January 2003
Tractors in the City. Whilst the rest of the world trembled at the build-up of preparations for war in the Gulf last week Irish citizens* quaked at the prospect of thousands of tractors and their angy farmer-owners bringing the country to a halt. The protest, organised by the Irish Farmers Association, was the particular pet project of its leader John Dillon - first mooted only shortly before Christmas - and was intended to highlight the extreme income difficulties of Irish farmers.That it was also a desperate exercise to save Mr Dillon's skin from the knives of his more Patrician detractors in the IFA, who seemingly regard him as a hick-accented, hill-billy, is a view put forward by some jaundiced observers. The sub-plot of the Brutus-like conspirators was that this protest would blow up in Dillon's face and conveniently rid them of this meddlesome man.
As it turned out, the protest was surprisingly well stage-managed - a suspicion that the Patricians rowed in when they saw which way the wind was blowing - and, although thousands of tractors did take to the roads throughout the country, only a token 300 were allowed into the city centre last Friday. They arrayed themselves colourfully there, four-deep in Mountjoy Square before Government Buildings.Traffic disruption was minimal and the 'Tractorcade' was generally warmly received by urban dwellers. "Tonka Heaven" was how one bystander described it. The atmosphere was that of a festival - St Patrick's Day Parade meets the Ploughing Championships. There was even a note of envy and comradeship that the farmers can make their case in such an orderly, activist and attractive manner. A placard displayed by Dublin, road-side workers read, "Go farmers. Milk them for what you can get".
There is no doubt that the protest was a massive success for the heavily-slagged Dillon (will his assassins-in-waiting now fall upon their swords?) and the farming community in general. Media coverage was extensive throughout a week that is traditionally news-lean and, despite the undoubted intention of some to parade their anti-rural bias in comment and programme-making and have some easy fun at the farmers' expense,** the message sank in. That message was; that most farmers work hard, for very little (this was a point of debate earlier in the week with Min Joe blundering and his own civil servants correcting him in public!); that the rural way of life is under dire threat and that middlemen cream off by far the greater proportion of the end-price of food.
The most heartening and, I'm certain, longest-lasting result ot this last week's events is that many bridges were rebuilt across the divide that has been allowed to develop over the last couple of decades between urban and rural dwellers. And that is sure to be a major improved asset in the future as farming undergoes enormous upheavals.

That said, the protest brought home to me in no uncertain way the complete bankruptcy of ideas and lack of vision there is amongst Irish farm leaders, the government and its administrators about the future of farming, food production and the rural community in this country. Here you had, judging from the quality and value of the tractors that ended up in the Square, the top 10% of Irish Farmers who have done and still do so well out of the trough of EU premia, clamouring for more of the same. What we want, they seem to be saying, is not vision or radical changes in our farming methods but more money for more tractors, more fertilizers and ever more inputs to create more (surplus!) food. I feel that this is not what a lot of farmers want but they have no one to help shape a vision of how it could be. A few years ago I sat down and tried to come up with such a vision. It is dated now and there are others who could say it better but at least it's there! See Killing Fields. I sent copies to Ministers and farm leaders then. I got no response.
The IFA with its agri-business and political baggage is not going to advocate radical change. That the majority of the farming community is in trouble is in little doubt.***But besieging the gov and the Min Ag in their offices, whilst it did serve, probably luckily, to raise the profile of farmers in a positive way is not the most effective method to bring about the sea-changes that are necessary. Today's imitative ICMSA (the second largest farm organisation, representing milk suppliers), "Action not Words", 96-hour vigil, beginning outside those same offices is going to be even less effective in bringing about any substantial changes in anything, least of all farm incomes.
To a large extent the power that governs the future of agriculture is no longer within the remit of individual Min Ags anyway so, even though I hold no brief for Min Joe and his minions he is not the sole villain of the piece here. Have I missed something in the three weeks that I was away? I thought Min Joe was flavour-of the month with the IFA and its Journal. Does he really deserve this? "....he hasn't the faintest notion and doesn't even care." and, " We need a new minister." Both and much more by the "strawberry thatched" (so described by the RTE Radio 1 journalist, Philip Boucher-Hayes as he gave a lift to the poor leader lost from the Tractorcade on the road to Dublin), John Dillon.
Farmers deserve better leadership. And I don't mean the smoother Patricians either. They also need to have a cross-section of their needs and views represented.They should also be educated to the fact that in order to restore the image of Ireland as a quality, safe producer there has to be a root and branch change in agricultural practices. They also need to be reminded that in future they have to produce what the consumers want. Massive change is on the way as Herr Fischler steers his new environmental policies through and Irish farming is going to be dragged into this new world whether it likes it or not. The great pity is that farm leaders and gov.are running around like headless chickens when they should be leading. It seems to me that they have settled for second best, leaving the vision and action to others, mostly in Brussels, and it should be said, the UK, and accepted the acquiescent role of being cheque-in-the-post senders and EU form-stampers.

Some of the comments during the Tractorcade were less supportive than those recorded above;
"Is 20 million €s worth of tractors in Dublin centre an indicator of rural poverty?"
"I thought the Festival of Fools was New Year's Day."
"'Tis all militancy for militancy's sake"
"How much sympathy would they get if they all came up in their posh 4 Wheel Drives?"
"I wonder if those tractors were checked for tax and insurance?"
"Bertie (the PM) in the Canaries; Joe Walsh (Min Ag) with the Fairies."
"There's one gov. official for every 25 farmers. His salary and maintenance costs, if divided, would give each farmer about €4,000 and solve the income crisis in one stroke."

* Some Irish citizens were interested in other issues; they were making their point about the passage of thousands of US troops being routed through our 'neutral' Shannon airport on their way to the Gulf.
** The Tractor Song by the inimitable Ritchie Kavanagh, commissioned by the Gerry Ryan Show (popular morning radio show) is an example of this; "Poor oul Irish farmers sinking deeper in the shite..."; You'd want to be a cute hoor to.. (to survive?)"; (wages?) so small, hardly worth getting out of bed at all." "The quare ones up in Dublin (the Gov.?)...." If any one has the full words, I'd appreciate an email with same.
*** Although a new survey of farm incomes this week shows that the average farm income is much closer to the average industrial income than hitherto suspected. I don't want to be Monty Pythonesque about this but, is the present situation really a crisis in comparison to other agricultural recessions? For example, that of the early 1970s which I as a young student worked through with my father and family? Things were bad, really bad, and we got no help except to be told to tough it out. We could not have afforded a week's break to go to Dublin, least of all for a tactor protest. In any case we'd have frozen to death as few of us had cabs on our tractors then. Real rural poverty? In 1974 there was a case, sadly not unique, of a farm family near Cashel, in Co.Tipperary, that suffered from malnutrition - they had tried to live on £12 a week and, from pride, hid their extremity. In our own difficult situation, in debt to an unmerciful ACC, and AIB, we all tightened our belts 'till it hurt. I only drew £5 per week from my father's farm at the time. Later I had to pay £500 income tax for that year because the tax inspector would not believe that anyone could live on so little and therefore must have had another hidden income! I didn't, but my accountant (I was in a successful off-farm business then) advised me to pay the man as it would cost more to dispute it. It still rankles.

Later:

Friday 31st January 2003

Irish government turning its back on organics? Teagasc, the state-funded, Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority gave heart to the beleagured organic industry in Ireland in 2002 by unexpectedly announcing the provision of organic courses and training at a redeveloped agricultural college in Co.Galway.The attached 125 ha farm at Mellows College, Athenry was also to be converted to organic production.
This was the first time that a state body had become directly involved in organic education and farming in Ireland. Large sums of public money were spent on developing new facilities for the organic courses and training, most of which were to start in the autumn of 2003.
Last year, the Dept.of Agriculture, published the Report of the Organic Committee, which was constructive and positive towards the organic industry in Ireland. Increased state aid to the fledgling movement was also announced.
Many in the organic sector saw these developments as great leaps forward in a country where conventional agri-business is so dominant and the organic sector one of the weakest in the western world.
It seemed that the case for organics was finally getting through and many looked forward to Ireland getting ready to catch-up with countries like Austria and Denmark (similarly sized to Ireland but with organic industries several factors greater).
The hope was, that Ireland would now participate significantly in an area of agriculture that is currently worth $25,000,000,000 per annum globally, and, unlike any other area of agricultural production, growing at the phenomenal rate of 25%.
But now, hardly before it gets off its feet, Mellows College is under the threat of closure!
The weakening Celtic Tiger economy, where unemployment and inflation are drastically rising, is resulting in government cutbacks, some, like this one, less public than others.
The Irish government is demanding that Teagasc produce savings of € 15 million and Mellows College is one of the facilities that the Authority's Board is being forced to consider for the chop.
Tom Kirley, newly-appointed Director of Administration at Teagasc, said in a statement to Planorganic yesterday: "The future of Mellows Agricultural college is currently under active consideration by Teagasc management and Board. Teagasc has had its budget reduced substantially in the Government estimates and must look critically at all of its programmes and activities in order to achieve major savings. Substantial consolidation will be required in order to achieve these savings. No decision has been made in relation to the future of Mellows College at this stage."
No decision yet. But it seems that the fate of the college, and its staff of 32, is to be decided at a Board meeting early next month when the members will be presented with arguments for and against the closure of the school.
There has been a flurry of articles, emails, letters and interviews throughout the Irish media this last week and there is an upswell of anger developing at what's seen as the shortsightedness of the government in abandoning a sector that could offer so much hope to rural communities.

Thursday 23rd January 2003

Organics blamed for GM food aid rejection. We all know about Zambia and others throwing US, GM food back in their faces. The Americans blame it all on Europe and are threatening to whup our asses with the WTO unless we desist from our "Luddite" and "immoral" stance on GM food.
But it seems that the underlying reason for the African states' rebellion is because they do not want to risk their organic status! This is according to Prof Denis Murphy of Univ. of Glamorgan on a BBC science message board. Here's what he says: " A substantial proportion of these crops (horticultural exports from southern Africa) is designated 'organic' by the European supermarkets that buy them.This is one of the factors behind the reluctance of such countries to accept GM food aid from the US - lest it jeopardize their organic status." Discuss. Via www.ngin.org.uk

No Minister. The Irish junior minister responsible for Food and Horticulture (including development of the organic sector) Noel Treacy was in the news this week over an appallingly ill-judged interview he gave on radio (Morning Ireland, RTE 1 Tuesday 21st) following the conviction of his state-car driver for speeding. On another radio programme, Tonight with Vincent Browne, on Tuesday the ex-barrister presenter gave Mr Treacy - "Minister for Something or Other" - a terrible slagging, as we would say.
Ever wanting to put right a wrong to one of our esteemed politicians, I emailed Mr Browne with the correct information about the Minister and what he does.
I also took the opportunity to update my Links page - Government section. See updated links to Irish Dept Agric. contacts

Irish Organic College to close? Mellows Agricultural College, in Co.Galway, on which much time and money was spent in the last two years developing an organic farm and courses, is shortlisted to be axed - before it even opens! - in swingeing Dep Ag cuts.
A bitterly disappointed Padraig Fahy of the Galway Organic Group says gloomily, "...(if Mellows closes) it will be the end of the expansion of the organic sector in Ireland..."I will have more, much more on this next week.
One thing established today however is, that it's not the responsibility of DAFFor Mins Joe or Noel but an "internal Teagasc matter". So sayeth the Min Ag spokesman anyway.

Tuesday 21st January 2003
Yes, we have no bananas. At least that's what could be said worldwide by 2010 if the ravages of a fungus called sigatoka continues to take its toll. The story (and the same damn headlines!) of the sterile mutant banana and its eminent demise was spun all around the world this last week. Millions will die of starvation as the nutritious, bendy fruit disappears from the diet of the world's poor, we were told.
But hark! There is a saviour in the wings.The GM industry will ride to the rescue with a re-engineered pest-free banana. But first, they need to be assured that those pestiferous consumers who are so stupid and so uncaring about world hunger that they hold up the great scientific advances of the GM industry, are silenced.
Some large plantation owners are saying that the answer may lie in more and stronger pesticides (commercial bananas are, interestingly, sprayed more than 40 times already).
Guess which company gains either way?
There may also be an organic solution: in Honduras, plant biologists laboriously sieved through 400 tons of mashed bananas and found 15 fertile seeds from which they have bred a fungus-resistant variety.They propose to propagate the new strain organically. Which or whether, I wish someone would come up with a banana that tasted like the luscious, wild, little ones I picked by the Rio Madeira, in the heart of the Amazon, back in the '80's.
Incidentally, Ireland is the largest "manufacturer "of bananas in the world. Fyffes import them green, ripen them artificially - which is classified as manufacturing - and then flog them around Europe.

Pro Spuds. Those of you who have read my Famine Justice? or heard one of my talks, know of my enthusiasm for the humble, farinaceous vegetable, particularly organic heritage varieties. However, my enthusiasm palls somewhat in the face of a new Indian GM spud which, horrifically, they call the Protato. The Delhi scientists have engineered it to be pest-free, with extra protein (the name, get it?) and hail it as a great boon to India's hungry masses (who of course could be fed many times over on the 60 million tons of wheat lying in India's huge grain stores - but for the little problem the poor have of not having the rupees to buy the stuff).
I will say or do no more except draw your attention to what Dr Arpad Pusztai, no stranger to engineered poppies (remember how he was villified by the Royal Society and their GM puppet-masters for ratting in public about how the rats got sick from eating GM potatoes?), has to say about this new development and the spin that whizzes around it. See www.ngin.org.uk Wednesday 15th January and http://ngin.tripod.com/130103c.htm. See also John Le Carre article on NGIN, Saturday 18th and his "mushroom club" whose members are kept in the dark and fed bullshit.

Buffalo Bill. Buffalo Bill's real name was William Cody. When I was writing about the hanging of the Cody brothers in Clonmel in 1848 (Famine Justice?) someone suggested that the famous, blond, bison-blaster was descended from the same Tipperary family. A cursory investigation indicated that this was not the case and in fact I doubted that there was any traceable Irish roots for the famous showman. However I have been confounded by the local researchers of Carlow who now proudly claim that the great white hunter's ancestors sprung from their county.Thank goodness - I was afraid that my home county would be claiming another famous disastrous son. Others were Ronald Reagan, William Walsh, Ned Kelly (the masked hangman at the Cody execution was probably a Kelly, a relative of the famous bushwhacker) etc.

Buffalo Grill. The flamboyant cowboy night have been pleased that his name was punned with the 200 branch French steakhouse chain Buffalo Grill that probably chargrilled more carcasses than the buffalo hunter ever shot.
But, like the bison, they may now be headed for extinction. Their share price has been flamed these past weeks as a scandal unfolds about their use of UK beef during the period 1996 - 2000 when, for fear of BSE, it was banned in France. There have been several deaths in the country recently from CJD-nv and it has been alleged that some of the victims were regular customers of the Buffalo Grill restaurants.

Friday 17th January 2003 Although from the US, there is much here in this article to dwell on for those looking for alternatives to our industrial farming mess. Organic Valley is a co-op of more than 500 family farms that last year achieved sales of $125 million (from $2 million in 1992). Their extraordinary success is the subject of study by organisations from all over the world.The activist, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.(yes, of that family!) is quoted in support of the ethos of the company: "Organic farming has the vision for building the sustainable, rural communities our nation needs to protect our natural resources. As industrial agriculture destroys our rural communities, organic farmers offer a true return to community centered food production. They buy locally and reinvest in their communities. Thriving farms and town are essential for the protection of the local environment."
It's ironic that opposite the article is an advertisement for the Irish Dairy Board.

Monday 13th January 2003
Tractors in the City. Whilst the rest of the world trembled at the build-up of preparations for war in the Gulf last week Irish citizens* quaked at the prospect of thousands of tractors and their angy farmer-owners bringing the country to a halt. The protest, organised by the Irish Farmers Association, was the particular pet project of its leader John Dillon - first mooted only shortly before Christmas - and was intended to highlight the extreme income difficulties of Irish farmers.That it was also a desperate exercise to save Mr Dillon's skin from the knives of his more Patrician detractors in the IFA, who seemingly regard him as a hick-accented, hill-billy, is a view put forward by some jaundiced observers. The sub-plot of the Brutus-like conspirators was that this protest would blow up in Dillon's face and conveniently rid them of this meddlesome man.
As it turned out, the protest was surprisingly well stage-managed - a suspicion that the Patricians rowed in when they saw which way the wind was blowing - and, although thousands of tractors did take to the roads throughout the country, only a token 300 were allowed into the city centre last Friday. They arrayed themselves colourfully there, four-deep in Mountjoy Square before Government Buildings.Traffic disruption was minimal and the 'Tractorcade' was generally warmly received by urban dwellers. "Tonka Heaven" was how one bystander described it. The atmosphere was that of a festival - St Patrick's Day Parade meets the Ploughing Championships. There was even a note of envy and comradeship that the farmers can make their case in such an orderly, activist and attractive manner. A placard displayed by Dublin, road-side workers read, "Go farmers. Milk them for what you can get".
There is no doubt that the protest was a massive success for the heavily-slagged Dillon (will his assassins-in-waiting now fall upon their swords?) and the farming community in general. Media coverage was extensive throughout a week that is traditionally news-lean and, despite the undoubted intention of some to parade their anti-rural bias in comment and programme-making and have some easy fun at the farmers' expense,** the message sank in. That message was; that most farmers work hard, for very little (this was a point of debate earlier in the week with Min Joe blundering and his own civil servants correcting him in public!); that the rural way of life is under dire threat and that middlemen cream off by far the greater proportion of the end-price of food.
The most heartening and, I'm certain, longest-lasting result ot this last week's events is that many bridges were rebuilt across the divide that has been allowed to develop over the last couple of decades between urban and rural dwellers. And that is sure to be a major improved asset in the future as farming undergoes enormous upheavals.

6th January 2003This time last year I was visiting the Eden Project. Although I am again in Cornwall this holiday time, and am still dazzled by the magnificence of this enterprise that has put a previously blighted part of Cornwall hugely on the environment -and entertainment - map, I decided not to go again until I could see it in a different season. In the meantime I continue to indulge my passion for the Project by reading Tim Smit's account of the realisation of his dream. An Independent reviewer said of it, 'Smit's vision of Eden is the eight wonder of the world'. The book, which my Cornish niece, Sonya, gave me this Christmas, is simply called Eden. Published by Corgi at £7.99.
You too can, at least virtually, visit Eden by clicking onto the website, www.edenproject.com.

Would that we in Ireland had such a project rather than football stadia and their ilk.

Cold Comfort. Recovering from a cold, and listlessly trawling for organic news, I came across a Japanese site that offered some comfort for the annual malaise. In an article titled, Thinking of Food/Lifegiving Power of Food, an actress/essayist, Miko Takagi, relates that her doctor said ' You are not healthy if you do not catch cold. Having a cold and treating it with natural remedies is the immune system's method of updating on the cold virus'. Ms Takagi also claimed that retreating to her parents' small farm and growing her own organic food has helped her recover from a nervous breakdown and to deal with her busy stressful life. ' By eating organic vegetables... I have a feeling ...that I am absorbing the power of Nature into my body'. Conversely, she claims that eating chemically-laden processed food made her ill in the first place. www.yamiuri.co.jp 1/1/03.

What more proof do you want of the benefits of the organic way?

Meecher beseeches. The UK Environment Minister, Michael Meecher accuses us all of being 'Kremlinologists' (See last week's The GM Cat's....) and that the GM report published on DEFRA's site last Christmas Eve was an innocent 'blunder', 'unfortunate' and a 'cock-up rather than a conspiracy'.

We can presumably rest easy now that we have been assured that one of the UK govs biggest depts is just inept rather than Machiavellian.

Fair Dues. Charles, the organic prince, is again in the lists*. His virtual speech (video link) to the three-day SA conference, Trading Fairly from Plough to the Plate, at the Royal College of Agriculture last week, welcomes enthusiastically the concept of Fair Trading for British organic farmers. 'Fair Trade should begin at home' he said and 'this theme could be a major influence, encouraging exacly the kind of farming systems we need to see in the 21st century.' In a slug at the supermarkets' dominance of the organic market and their less-than-philanthropic policies in their dealings with producers, he suggested that this new approach could transform our trading relations which until now were riven with 'fear and mistrust'.
*Or is it just because I am here lingering in his Duchy? Sorry, in fairness, I admire the man and his stance, often courageous, over the years on organic farming. I sometimes think that we, in our benighted little republic, could well do with such ideals in high places. Although, come to think of it, we do have Josef Finke - self-styled 'father of the Irish organic movement'.

Star Turn. You know how I go on about the Famine. Well, I finally have suprising - and eminent - support for my views. Joe O'Connor's latest book, Star of the Sea, (Secker&Warburg) described by another Independent reviewer as 'magnificient', a 'bravura performance', is a novel (the first?) set in a Famine ship in 1847. The brave Joe, son of 'spectacularly unhappy' parents, has grown up and far away from his early laddish journalism and lightweight novels. Here he goes so far as to say that, 'Some Irish made vast fortunes out of the Famine' and that 'there has been a certain silence hanging about it.'
Where have I heard that before? Perhaps in Famine Justice? No?
To those who are thinking, 'O'Connor's clutching at straws again', I'll have you know that my namesake, and favourite singer's brother, has degrees in History - his most senior one being from hallowed Oxford no less. Great minds......

That is. You've all heard of the online suffixes, .com, .net, .org and possibly even .tv (Tuvalu, in the Pacific) And of course we in Ireland all know that .ie is our very own*. But here in the UK nobody's ever heard of it. The nearest guess I could elicit to our web country suffix was Iceland! Mind you, none of those straw-polled by me had heard of the Celtic Tiger either! Which leads me to the conclusion that either English, sorry British people, are stupid or Ireland is not the centre of the Universe.
*My web-building lecturer was trying to tell me recently that I should change my website address to www.planorganic.ie - more caché, less .com blasé he says. I didn't agree.