January 23rd 2004
Paradise Lost  EU Ag. Comm. Fischler said yesterday at the Hearing on Organic Food and Farming in Brussels that, in relation to GMO contamination of agricultural crops, "We have been banished from Paradise". Speaking to journalists after the hearing he continued; "The idea of a zero per cent threshold (for GMOs) was no doubt possible in the Garden of Eden but not in the real world. In this matter we have to take guidance from scientists and not politicians."
He was backed to the hilt by Birte Boelt from the Danish Ag Min. "The risk of GM contamination will grow over time.“ She talked, on the one hand, about safe isolation distances and, on the other, about the inevitability of cross-contamination.
"Even with the greatest care mistakes will happen”, said Boelt. "We can never guarantee a zero.” (See below, European Pre Action Plan Hearing 19th January). Co-existence is a done deal now it would seem. Fischler, in his closing remarks last evening, said, "It is up to individual member states to implement co-existence rules appropriate for their specific situation, based on the Commission's recommendations [of last July])".

Otherwise, participants at the hearing made several interesting requests; better marketing of the advantages of organic farming; ensuring standards of imported organic produce are up to EU levels; the provision of an independent body to provide scientific and technical advice; setting up an "economic observatory" to monitor supply and demand of organic produce; "targeted research" into organic farming and "information leads" to consumers. In relation to the latter, Fischler put forward his preference for a EU-wide logo (that's a sample of it at the head of this article). He promised to bring all the points raised at the hearing into the final discussions of the Action Plan which is now promised for late April. 

You have to hand it to the EU web guys - they are efficient; Fischler's speeches, both opening and closing, were up on their website early yesterday evening. 
The full text of the Ag Comm's opening speech is on http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=SPEECH/04/36|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display=
He referred to our Min Joe's joint-opening speech and, in particular, his "important boost" to organic farming. However, nothing on www.agriculture.ie  by this morning. Some of the papers today should have it - they have a few more resources than mé féin. Note Fischler's drawing attention to, "The EU Comm. and Council recognized that organic farming was one way to achieve sustainable development."
His concluding remarks are on http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=SPEECH/04/34|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display= 
And note here also that his very opening sentence is " 'Added value and 'high quality' are not just assets that can be attributed to organic produce.." in response to previous discussions during the hearing.
There will be a further EU Commission meeting on 28th January where critical decisions on the future of GMOs in Europe will be made. 

Janurary 21st 2004 
Bull about Mad Cow in US There's been a lot of brouhaha about the outbreak of BSE in the US and how it's going to be a windfall for organic beef there - and further afield. Some predict that sales of organic beef could at least double. But even if that did happen it wouldn't be any great shakes as organic beef only comprises 0.02% of the current overall beef market in the States.*
In any case drastic measures are in hand by the US Dept of Agriculture ('firewalls' as Sec. of Ag. Venemann calls them) which will largely restore consumer confidence in conventional beef (from a BSE point of view anyway - the revelations about the American meat industry in Eric Stossel's bestselling book Fast Food Nation are another kettle of fish). Organic beef in the US has another competitor also in the form of 'Natural Beef' which is a well-established brand throughout the country. And if that were not enough to deter you from buying futures in organic beef, another barrier to its growth is the huge price premium in the US - around 300%! (That's even more than it is here in Ireland).
On the other hand, 35 countries including one of the biggest customers, Japan - so far - have banned imports of American beef because of the BSE outbreak. This is estimated to cause a 20% fall in exports - at least in the short term. 

*Interestingly, the best selling organic meat in the US is chicken, which comprises over 70% of the market. This is explained by the fact that some of the huge conventional producers have got into organic production, with economies of scale leading to low premium prices and high sales. 

Soil Association Lord to hammer conventional farming before  the Royal Society  Lord Melchett, Policy Director at the Soil Association, is to give a talk at the Royal Society, Edinburgh on 20th February. Lord Melchett (an abstract has been submitted) will say that the problems of modern agriculture are: "A combination of massive over-production and dumping on world markets of most commodity crops; continuing rapid losses of jobs in farming; public and political concern about taxpayers’ subsidies for farmers; dramatic declines in farmland wildlife; belated recognition of the decline in food quality and rapidly increasing concern about diet-related illness, particularly among children." These all have their origin he says ...' in intensive and industrial farming based on nitrogen fertilisers, pesticides and routine medication of livestock.'

Coming:  What Matt Dempsey of the Irish Farmers Journal had to say about organic farming in Ireland at the Soil Association conference in Edinburgh - sound archive, hopefully. 

January 19th 2004 
Looming supermarket price war in the UK could destroy many organic producers - article in today's Guardian http://politics.guardian.co.uk/economics/story/0,11268,1126099,00.html

European Pre Action Plan Hearing (Change in programme - Press 'briefing ' now in Room OB of Conference Centre 14.45 - 15.45)  As you all know of course, this is the year that we are expecting the long-promised Action Plan on Organic Food and Farming from the EU.* 
As part of the preparation for the Plan, a decision has been made to have a 'Hearing' this month to which over 100 stakeholders are invited. You can get all the details from this website http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/04/30|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display= 

The 'Hearing' will be a one-day only event, held next Thursday 22nd January, so, everything will be fairly concentrated and necessarily strictly choreographed. But there will be considerable opportunity to network as practically everyone that matters in the EU agricultural arena will be there. The about-to-be new member states will also have their representatives present. There may even be a chance to privately gain the ear of Herr Fischler at the buffet lunch in which he is 'participating', according to the press release. If you miss him there, not to despair, you may get a chance to pop your question to him at the press conference in the evening. Ag. Min Joe from Ireland, in deference, I suppose, to our cyclic presidency of the EU (certainly not to do with any organic brownie points he ever earned!) will deliver the welcoming speech. Surprisingly too, our David Byrne, EU Comm. Health and Consumer Protection will be giving a talk - What do consumers expect from organic farming? (Since when has the bould Davy been received into the organic fold?). 
And, as I have stressed before (see below, 2nd December, Organic side-by side with GM!), beware of the GM agenda! From the state of Denmark, in the afternoon of the hearing, will come a speaker on the subject of, Co-existence with GMOs and organic seed production. And Franz himself, in a pre-hearing comment says, There are important questions we need to address.... How can we ensure traceability and organic authenticity and, linked to this, how can we support the co-existence of organic farming with either conventional methods or genetically modified agriculture?'  Remember my quote of Dr F's (again in 2nd Dec. below) '... whilst we in Europe are often quick to villify biotechnology, there are no two ways about it - it is becoming more and more common place (sic) and, managed responsibly, it also has enormous potential.' That's what the Doctor said!
So, who's going to put it up to Dr Fischler? How can he be so enthusiastic about such drastically opposed industries? Is the clever man going to astonish us all and square the circle of expanding organics and GM crops at the same time? 
Whilst any debate, at this sort of level, about the development of organic food and farming is to be welcomed, there's a whiff about this hearing, Herr Fischler's motives and this Action Plan, particularly in the area of co-existence with GM crops, that I think we should all be very wary about.

*There was a time when we expected substantial action on developing organics from our own government here in Ireland, but it has become increasingly transparent that Min Joe, his minions and overseers, have settled for the more politically-safe, fallout-free, follow-the-leader-from-Brussels option. Sure they're not even on talking terms with the largest organic organisation in Ireland, IOFGA!
 
The UK gov published their action plan for organics over two years ago. See it at,  www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic/actionplan/index.htm  Other EU countries have also published their plans for organic expansion.   

Organic farmed salmon sales are up substantially  following the controversial report on farmed salmon in Science magazine last week.
The Scottish industry was singled out by the report as having the highest levels of contaminants in farmed fish in the world.
The report also found that levels of cancer-causing agents in farmed fish generally was much higher than in wild fish.
The story is widely covered in the media, but for one of the best reports, including quotes from Soil Association people, see www.foodnavigator.com/news/news-NG.asp?id=48948 
A Scottish Quality Salmon source, who described the research as 'a piece of hysteria', said the country's organic farming industry would not necessarily provide the toxin-free alternative consumers hope. 'Procedures and processes by which salmon are conventionally produced and organically produced are substantially identical', he said.
Whilst accusations of bias and hidden agendas are being cast about, the public, in the meantime, are voting with their pockets against conventionally farmed salmon. After a troubled year in 2003, Intrafish, the fishing industry publication, asks, ' 2004 -  first year without growth in the global salmon industry?' 

Quote of the week:  'If you do not look outside yourself, nothing will change.' Prof. David Southwood on Gerry Ryan Show, RTE Radio 2 FM, 9/1/'04. He was justifying the expenditure by Europe on Mars Express and its lost probe, Beagle.

January 10th 2004 
There will be lies, lies and more whoppers  Michael Moore in his latest book Dude, Where is my country? couches much of his spleen-venting on President George Bush in the form of ten Whoppers that he demands answers to. Moore's cross examination relates mostly to Gulf War II and WMDs, about which there are as many lies as there are lethal 'bomblets' on the ground in Iraq. 
But Whoppers are not just exclusive to the conventional battlefieds. Bush and his administration are guilty of using them in many others areas as well. The one that concerns us most is that of GMOs. Bush and his political allies owe much to biotech industry support and whatever else he can be accused of he cannot be faulted for rewarding friends and punishing enemies (no Iraq-rebuilding contracts to the 'frogs').
One example: The US President claimed early last year that Uganda had been won over to GMOs. Not true. They had agreed to accept some US GM grain, but only on condition that it be ground up and eaten. As President Yowereri Museveni made clear to the main Ugandan organic farmers organisation recently, there is absolutely no question of importing GM seeds or technology into the African country. See  http://allafrica.com/stories/200312180364.html 

We will all have to be more vigilant this year as the enemies of organic farming adopt new approaches. An expert in agricultural communications tells us that in 2004 the AgBiotech Corporations (ABCs) will be changing their tactics to get their message about GMOs across to the public. There will be less in-your-face advertisements and propaganda and not so much head-to-head clashes with activist NGOs (which they justifiably feel they have been losing). They will instead trawl for and groom the likes of Dr Florence Wambugu, a Kenyan biologist and a hit already on the North American talk circuit. Dr Wambugu's script will include such pleas as ' Don't hold back technology that can help' and 'Do not remove a tool for us to feed ourselves.' 
See Owen Roberts' of Canada's University of Guelph article relayed by www.gmwatch.org 18th December 2003.

In the meantime you couldn't have more of a confrontation than is brewing in California between the ABCs and the voters of famous winegrowing area Mendocino County. The county proposes to, 'prohibit the propagation, cultivation, raising and growing of GMOs in Mendocino.' The measure is supported both by organic and conventional wine growers in the county. The ABCs, including ubiquitous Monsanto, are wheeling out the legal big guns to nip this grass roots revolution in the bud. As well they might; neighbouring counties, equally famous in world wine circles, Sonoma, Marin and San Bernardino, are considering similar bans on the use of GMOs.
We in Ireland should at least be showing solidarity with our American neighbours by adopting a similar strategy of declaring GMO-free areas (remember how successfully this was done by Adi Roche with the anti-nuclear debate?). To our disgrace, the example of our British neighbours (for example the whole of Wales has now been officially declared GM-free) has so far been totally ignored by us. It may be the only way open to successfully counteract the infiltration of GMOs into Europe that is being aided and abetted by commissioners Byrne and Fischler among others. See Organic side-by-side with GM! below 2nd December.

Coming 
BSE in the US and its effects on the market for organic beef
The 2004 European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming
Irish Ag Min Joe, cock of the walk
Coexistence of GM and organic crops - Irish food lawyer comments
Fascism in organics - the failure to appeal to a wider market 
Organic Bread recipes

Quotes of the week  I have done without electricity and tend the fireplace and stove myself. Evenings, I light the old lamps. There is no running water, and I pump water from the well. I chop the wood and cook the food. These simple acts make man simple: and how difficult it is to be simple. 
No, not myself, even if a close description, but Carl Jung in his book, Memories, Dream Reflections.
A weed is a plant in the wrong place (original source anybody?) Quoted to me, in a reluctant (on my part, to talk shop that is) conversation about organics in the early hours of New Year's Day last by Aisling, one of the many happy revellers in the famous McCarthy's Bar (see Peter McCarthy's bestseller of the same name), Castletownbere.

January 2004 
Best wishes to all for 2004  I have been away for the last few weeks - the now almost habitual annual pilgrimage to Cornwall. And very nice it was too, to visit my brother Steven, sister Catherine, and their extended families (Steven's in N.Devon) and multitudes of friends. But celebrated New Year's Eve gloriously with my son Senan and his fiancée Deirdre here in Castletownbere.
Will be back soon to report and comment on;
BSE in the US and its effects on the market for organic beef
The 2004 European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming
Irish Ag Min Joe, cock of the walk
Coexistence of GM and organic crops - Irish food lawyer comments
Fascism in organics - the failure to appeal to a wider market 
Organic Bread recipes