[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

we need common standards for organic production in U.S. NOW!



Everything I here about the Dutch government lately sounds so good.  Here in
the U.S A. our government have been spending years just trying to come up
with a definitions of what organic farming is.  They charge you to register
to sell organic in ca. instead of helping organic farmers you have to pay
the gov to farm and sell your food as organic.  The USDA does not even know
what organic farming is .  But they say they are working on it . It's only
been 4 or 5 years but they may come up with something soon or so they say
and it will probably will cost organic farmers more money. Mean while in Ca.
we have to pay to sell organic you heard me right we have pay the state of
Ca. to sell organic what a joke.  Now look at the Dutch I want to quote from
Henrik Kloppenborg The Chairman of  The Danish Association of Organic
Agriculture 
"The fact is that this conference is pretty typical and the kind of
collaboration that has given Danish organic farming such a
boost in recent years. We have a handful of organic farmers, researchers and
small associations working overtime to get
things off the ground. We have support from consumers. We have support from
the major farm organizations and labor,
through the ministers Council on Organic Agriculture and we have the
national government stepping in with resources.

The Danish government now supports the development of organic farming at
virtually every critical link. The work is long
>from  finished but we now have

          an ambitious research program, 
          support for product development, 
          an ongoing information campaign aimed at consumers and the food
industry

          a system of technical assistance to organic farmers, 
          a subsidy program for conversion and, not least, 
          a credible state organic control. 

A major challenge for the conference participants here from Europe will be
the building of similar support from the
European community. We must have a European agricultural policy--with
conversion subsidies, green taxes, research
and control --which promotes conversion to organic farming.

Today, we have European agricultural subsidy program which penalize farmers
who have a good crop rotation and
thereby hinder conventional production and environmental clean up. This
would give organic farmers all over the world a
more free market

We must do more than work on common standards for organic production. We
must go after European agricultural
policy head on. We want to be more than a niche production.It says something
about the times that, in order to be
allowed to farm as I want to, I must have allies in many countries. I must
understand and engage myself in the
development of agricultural policy on a European and global level.

Just consider the production standards for organic farming. Fifteen years
ago, we started a little association which
hammered out a set of rules. then the Danish state development rules and
later the European Community. Now we try to
influence the new global rules, Codex Alimentarius. Our next task will
probably be negotiations with the martians on
galactic organic rules for cattle farming.: >

Common standards and agricultural policy are very important, and IFOAMs role
is critical as rules and policies are set
further and further afield. But we must remember that it is the local work
which ignites many farmers interest in organic
farming. The power of example is tremendous. But conversion also requires
that we reach out to farmers, one-by-one.

We are here to talk about rules and research and marketing. But organic
agriculture is also about what is in the hearts of
every person who works the land. I want common rules with organic farmers in
Argentina and Tanzania, but more
important is what I already share with organic farmers throughout the world:
the knowledge that I have borrowed the
land from my children.

In agricultural debate, it is often said that organic farming cannot feed
the world. We disagree. Organic farming cannot
eliminate hunger overnight. But by emphasizing development of human
resources, sustainable agricultural practices, and
use of local resources, organic farming provides a better basis for
development. This is certainly the case in countries
where hunger is caused by social, political and environmental conditions.
But organic farming is also - for the same
reasons - promising for our depopulated rural areas in Scandinavia.

Organic agriculture is our answer to the question "How should food be
produced ?" but it is also our answer to the
question "Who decides how food will be produced ?". It is farmers and
consumers who must decide. Organic farming
frees us today from a number of powerful agribusiness interests -such as
those which produce fertilizers and pesticides
and which now would like to sell us genetically modified plants, animals,
enzymes and Heaven knows what else.

There is wisdom in the saying "Think globally and act locally". But to
promote organic farming, we are increasingly forced
to act globally - on standards and policy - and think hard locally - about
how to get nutrient cycles between towns and
farms to function in a balanced and healthy way.

I have confidence that all of the dedicated people here will be working at
one or more of these levels for many years to
come. Our Associations goal here in Denmark is total conversion of Danish
agriculture - that will certainly take several
decades to accomplish. We are very happy and proud today to have the
opportunity to learn from your experiences and
knowledge."

Me again.  I wish our government would get of the stick and recognize
organic farming as the most earth  friendly way to farm and instead of
hurting them with registrations fees help them.