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Alternative Agriculture News For
May, 1997, from the Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture.
Headlines:
New
Report Helps Readers With Pesticide Studies
Three
New Sustainable Ag Web Sites
Resources
New
Program Will Create Conservation Buffers
USDA
Appoints Facilities Review Task Force
Agriculture Research Prize Seeks Nominations
Positions
Upcoming
Events
©1997, Henry A. Wallace
Institute for Alternative Agriculture, 9200 Edmonston Road, #117, Greenbelt,
MD 20770. Phone: (301) 441-8777. E-mail:
hawiaa@access.digex.net.
Back Issues
This newsletter is also
available to subscribers to the
sanet-mg
listserv. To subscribe, send a message to:
almanac@ces.ncsu.edu. Leave the
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The current issue is
also available at the Wallace Institute
website.
In addition to this monthly newsletter, the Henry A. Wallace Institute for
Alternative Agriculture publishes the American Journal of Alternative
Agriculture, a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal of research on alternative
agriculture. It is a scientific forum for disseminating technical, economic,
and social research findings about the character and requirements of alternative
agriculture systems.
The current issue (Volume 11, No. 4) includes
articles on a first study of managing vertebrates in cover crops, the links
between pesticide use and pesticide residues, and production-side progress and
demand-side constraints in sustainable agriculture in the Corn Belt. It also
features abstracts from the conference on "Environmental Enhancement
Through Agriculture," sponsored by the Wallace Institute, Tufts
University, and American Farmland Trust in November, 1995, are also in the new
issue of the Wallace Institute's quarterly peer-reviewed journal of research on
alternative agriculture.
Subscriptions to AJAA are $44 for libraries;
$24 for individuals; and $12 for students.
New Report Helps Readers With Pesticide Studies
A
new report from the Wallace Institute helps readers understand and evaluate the
economic predictions in studies about restricting the use of, or reducing the
risks from, agricultural pesticides.
"The Myths and Realities of
Pesticide Reduction: A Reader's Guide to Understanding the Full Economic
Impacts," by Edward Jaenicke, investigates the common themes in a diverse
body of current research on pesticide economics.
The full
implementation of last year's Food Quality Protection Act is likely to generate
a new round of economic studies that attempt to predict the impacts on consumers
and agricultural producers of the loss or restriction of certain pesticides,
according to the report. It is also likely to rekindle a debate which centers
on two premises: that the health and/or environmental risks of using certain
pesticides may outweigh their economic benefits, and that using pesticides is
not the only way to control agricultural pests effectively.
There
are four reasons why studies on the consequences of pesticide reduction confuse
or inadvertently mislead readers, according to the new report:
- Current studies often do not examine the benefits of pesticide reduction.
Nonregulatory studies almost always focus only on the costs of pesticide
reduction.
- Farmers usually learn to cope with new regulations through innovative
adjustments. Most studies quote experts who predict that crop yields will
decline when broad restrictions are imposed on pesticide use, ignoring the fact
that farmers and pest-control suppliers can innovate with pest-control
approaches.
- Current studies do not always put predicted costs in perspective.
Statistics on the costs of pesticide reduction can be used misleadingly, when
they could actually advance the cause of pesticide reduction.
- Current studies generally ignore the full range of policy alternatives.
Economic impact research has focused largely on direct pesticide restrictions
such as bans or cancellations.
The first step toward
understanding studies on the impacts of pesticide reduction is identifying major
issues that may be unclear to readers, according to the new report; the second
step is to look at the assumptions that underlie the predictions made in those
studies.
Here is the report's checklist of questions to ask about
those assumptions:
- How flexible are the pest-control policy mechanisms examined in the study?
- How far would the restriction shift policy from the status quo?
- How are the effects of pesticide reductions on yields calculated?
- How are researchers calculating the costs to consumers of farmers' efforts
to reduce pesticide use?
- What role does international trade play in assessing the impact of
pesticide reduction?
- Do researchers take into account where and how crops are grown as a result
of pesticide reduction?
- How do researchers approach the issue of food quality?
- Do researchers ignore environmental-related benefits from reduced pesticide
use?
- Do researchers ignore the production-related benefits of reduced pesticide
use?
The report also makes recommendations for researchers
analyzing pesticide reduction strategies who are trying to clarify the scope and
inherent limitations of their work. "The Myths and Realities of
Pesticide Reduction" is $6 from the Wallace Institute, 9200 Edmonston Rd.,
#117, Greenbelt, MD 20770; (301) 441-8777; e-mail
hawiaa@access.digex.net
Three New Sustainable Ag Web Sites
Three new
World Wide Web sites have been launched by the Wallace Institute, the
Sustainable Agriculture Network, and the new Sustainable Farming Connection.
The Wallace Institute: The Wallace Institute's new Web homepage
[http://www.hawiaa.org] features a
description of the Institute and its agenda of leadership, policy research, and
information; some of the site is still in progress. The site lists and will
soon have information links to the Institute's programs: Policy Studies Program,
Agriculture Policy Project, Ward Sinclair Memorial Internship, and Education
Outreach.
Alternative Agriculture News is available at the site, which will also
soon include information about and summaries of additional publications:
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, Policy Studies Program Reports,
Occasional Papers, Annual Reports, and the Henry A. Wallace Annual Lecture.
Visitors to the homepage can e-mail messages to the Wallace Institute directly
through a link at the site.
Sustainable Agriculture Network:
SAN's new Web homepage
[http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/san/]
features information about sustainable agriculture, including on-line books, a
database of more than 1,000 research projects funded by the Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education program, the Sustainable Agriculture
Directory of Expertise, information about SARE grants, sustainable agriculture
materials, and links to other sustainable agriculture Web sites. Visitors can
search SAN's publications and media resources.
Sustainable
Farming Connection: Two former editors of The New Farm have launched the
Sustainable Farming Connection
[http://sunsite.unc.edu/farming-connection],
an interactive Web site where farmers and others can find information about
production, marketing, commentary, news, action alerts, archived materials, and
links to other sites. Discussion groups provide a forum for farmers to ask
questions, exchange tips, and share information. The Sustainable Farming
Connection has been supported by the Wallace Genetic Foundation.
Resources
- "The Fruits of Their Labor: Nitrogen Management in Stone Fruit and
Almond Production," a 30-minute video, is $10 from California Dept. of Food
and Agriculture, Fertilizer Research/Education Program, 1220 N St., Room A-472,
Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 653-5340.
- "Implementing Pheromone Technology in the Northeast," NRAES- 83,
is $16; "Farming Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating the Feasibility of New
Farm-Based Enterprises," NRAES-32, is $8; both are available from Northeast
Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb
Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853; (607) 255-7654.
- "Forages, Fifth Edition," a CD-ROM Companion, is $54.95 from Iowa
State University Press, 2121 S. State Ave., Ames, IA 50014; 1-800-862-6657.
- "Alternatives to Methyl Bromide" is available from the EPA's
Ozone Protection Hotline, 1-800-296-1996; or Bill Thomas, Methyl Bromide
Program, EPA, (202) 233-9179.
- Conservation Options Hotline, operated by the Center for Rural Affairs,
assists farmers wanting to enroll in the Conservation Reserve Program,
Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and Conservation Farm Option; call
(402) 994-2021.
- "Dig It! Biointensive Sustainable Mini-Farming," a video, is
$24.95 from John Jeavons, 5798 Ridgewood Road, Willits, CA 95490.
- Ecological Agriculture Projects now offers sustainable agriculture services
and a World Wide Web site at
http://www.eap.mcgill.ca; contact (514)
398-7771 or e-mail,
info@eap.mcgill.ca
New
Program Will Create Conservation Buffers
The USDA has launched
the National Conservation Buffer Initiative, a public-private partnership
committed to helping landowners install two million miles of conservation
buffers by the year 2002.
Conservation buffers are areas or strips of
land maintained in permanent vegetation and designed to intercept pollution;
they can be installed along streams or within crop fields, at the edge of crop
fields, or at the margins of a field. They are most effective when used in
combination with other conservation measures, such as conservation tillage,
nutrient management, and integrated pest management.
The new program
is an effort of the Natural Resources Conservation Service in cooperation with
several other USDA agencies, state conservation agencies, agricultural and
environmental organizations, and agricultural corporations, including Pioneer
Hi-Bred International.
USDA
Appoints Facilities Review Task Force
The USDA has appointed
a new 15-member Facilities Review Task Force, which will recommend to
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and Congress priorities for agricultural
research facilities in the next decade.
Chair of the Task Force is
Tom Urban, Chairman of the Board of Pioneer Hi-Bred International and a member
of the Wallace Institute Board of Directors. Members include Kathleen Merrigan,
Senior Analyst at the Wallace Institute, and John Gordon, Professor and Dean
Emeritus, Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, and former member
of the Wallace Institute Board of Directors. Other Task Force members are:
- Jose Amador, Texas A&M University
- Bruce Andrews, Director, Oregon Department of Agriculture
- Alan Bergman, North Dakota Farmers Union
- Al Clausi, retired Chief Research Officer, General Foods
- Bob Guernsey, farmer
- Ted Hullar, University of California at Davis
- Andrew Jordan, National Cotton Council
- Carol Ann Kaiser, Loveless Cattle Co.
- Max Lennon, Mars Hill College
- Joseph McDonald, Salish Kootenai College, MT
- Richard Ross, Iowa State University
- Jim Wilder, North Carolina Soybean Producers Association
Agriculture
Research Prize Seeks Nominations
The Filippo Maseri Florio
World Prize for Distinguished Research in Agriculture, initiated this year,
seeks nominations of individuals or teams who have achievements in research in
specific fields of agricultural science and technology.
The Prize
consists of $100,000 awarded to the individual or team selected, and an
additional $100,000 awarded to the winner's research program or program of his
or her choice. Nominations are due June 6.
For more information,
contact the Prize Secretariat, c/o Dr. Irv T. Omtvedt, Vice Chancellor,
Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln,
NE 68583-0708; (402) 472-4101; e-mail
cgls002@unlvm.unl.edu
Positions
- Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona, seeks
volunteers to visit Ethiopia for eight weeks, starting June 1, to work in a
Farmer-to-Farmer Program; contact Kathleen Thompson, Farmer-to-Farmer Program,
800 E. University Blvd., #110, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721; (520)
622- 5546; e-mail kathleet@ccit.arizona.edu
- World Wildlife Fund seeks a Director for Toxics Policy, and a Senior
Program Officer for its Agricultural Pollution Prevention projects in the
International Policy Program; send cover letter and resume to WWF, Human
Resources Department, Toxics Policy -- Dept. 572 M, or Agricultural Pollution
Prevention -- Dept. 573M, 1250 24th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20037.
- Center for Rural Affairs seeks a Project Leader/Loan Officer for its Family
Farm Opportunities Project, and a Project Leader for its Market Structure
Project. For Family Farm Opportunities Project, send letter, resume, and
references to Rose Jaspersen, Center for Rural Affairs, Box 406, Walthill, NE
68067. For Market Structure Project, send letter, resume, and references to Kim
Staritzky at the Center.
Upcoming
Events
For additional listings, see the
Sustainable
Agriculture Network's Calendar of Events.
- June 1 is the deadline for abstracts for the International Symposium on
Sustainable Agricultural Technology, to be held August 20-23 in Beijing, China;
contact Mr. Ma Zhongyu, Institute of Natural Resources and Regional Planning,
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 30 Bai Shi Qiao Rd., Beijing 100081,
China; phone (86-10) 62174433 ext. 2291; e-mail
MAZY@MAIL2.BUCT.EDU.CN
- June 1-3, "Resource Management in Challenged Environments" will
be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; contact National Agricultural
Biotechnology Council, (306) 966-5539.
- June 3-5, "Wind Erosion: An International Symposium/Workshop"
will be held in Manhattan, KS; contact USDA's Wind Erosion Research Unit,
Throckmorton Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506; (913) 532-6495;
e-mail
sym@weru.ksu.edu
- June 5-6, "Resource Use in Organic Farming" will be held in
Ancona, Italy; contact Dr. Juan Isart, Coordinator ENOF Concerted Action,
University of Ancona, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy; phone
+39-(0)71-220-4929.
- June 5-8, the joint meetings of the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values
Society and the Association for the Study of Food and Society will be held in
Madison, WI; contact Nancy, (608) 265-2908.
- June 6-8, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy's 1997 Conference and
Members Meeting will be held in Shelburne, VT; contact ALBC, (919) 542-5704.
- June 8-10, "Flexible Incentives for the Adoption of Environmental
Technologies in Agriculture," sponsored by USDA/ERS and co-sponsored by the
Wallace Institute and others, will be held in Gainesville, FL; contact Carole
Schmitz by fax at (352) 392-3646.
- June 8-12 and June 15-19, "Grasslands 2000," International
Grassland Congress '97, will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba (June 8-12) and
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (June 15-19); sponsors include Government of Canada and
Agricultural Institute of Canada; contact organizers at (403) 244-4487; e-mail
amc@forage.org
- June 16-27 and July 14-25, Permaculture Design Courses will be held in
Santa Barbara, CA (June 16-27) and Half Moon Bay (July 14-25); contact
International Institute for Ecological Agriculture, 834 West California Way,
Woodside, CA 94062; (415) 365-2993; e-mail DBLUME@igc.apc.org
- June 20-22, "The Other Economic Summit/Working Alternatives: A World
That Works" will be held in Denver, CO; contact TOES, 6612 Piney Branch NW,
Washington, DC 20012; e-mail
TOESDC@IGC.APC.ORG
- June 20-28, Fundamentals of Permaculture course will be held in
Summertown, TN; contact The Ecovillage Training Center, PO Box 90, Summertown,
TN 38483-0090; (615) 964-4324; e-mail
ecovillage@thefarm.org
- June 21-22, 1997 Pacific Northwest Bamboo Agro-Forestry Workshop will be
held in Port Townsend, WA; contact Gib Cooper, (541) 247-0835; e-mail
bambugib@harborside.com
- June 21-25, "Healing, Planting and Harvesting: Taking the Future Into
Our Hands," the 1997 Rural Coalition Assembly, will be held in Montpelier,
VT; contact the Coalition at (202) 544- 9611.
- June 24-26, National Agriculture Resource Management Planning conference
will be held in New Orleans; contact Lyn Kirschner, Conservation Technology
Information Center, (765) 494- 9555; e-mail
kirschner@ctic.purdue.edu
- June 25-28, 3rd International Interdisciplinary Conference on the
Environment will be held in Cambridge, MA; contact Demetri Kantarelis,
Assumption College, (508) 767-7557, or Kevin Hickey, (508) 767-7296.
©1997 Committee for
Sustainable Farm Publishing
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