From a16msafley@attmail.comMon Apr 3 12:08:57 1995 Date: Mon, 03 Apr 1995 09:15:41 -0400 From: Marc Safley To: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu, sustag-l@listproc.wsu.edu, agric-l@uga.cc.uga.edu Subject: PCSD Sust. Ag. News This is not news so much as a note to these lists to let you know where the Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is wit its deliberations. There are 9 draft recommendations (being considered for submission to the full President's Council on Sustainable Development) that will be discussed at the upcoming PCSD meeting in San Francisco by the Sust. Ag. Task Force members. The recommendations are: 1. Expand Agricultural Markets The federal government should pursue efforts to expand agricultural markets in order to increase demend for agricultural products and returns for farmers. The government should support continued negotiations on international agreements that encourage more open global markets free of trade distorting policies, support the development of new uses for agricultural commodities through research and revolving funds for new enterprises located in rural areas [and should promote American agricultural commodities abroad through federal export enhancement programs]. 2. Invest in Rural Infrastructure For rural communities to thrive, they must have an adequate invest- ment in basic services, such as health care, education, telecommunications, and transportation. Existing federal and state rural business development and marketing programs and research efforts should be redirected to give priority to investments that support sustainable agriculture systems. 3. Equity and Support Increase flexibility in farm commodity programs, [redirect government support], and [improve access to investment capital] to allow farmers to respond to market signals, improve crop rotations, and diversify the mix of agricultural goods produced thereby enabling farmers to implement profitable practices and systems while protecting human health and [participating in water quality protection, wildlife enhancement, and other conservation progra][environmental quality]. Refocus federal agricultural investment toward research, technical support and demonstration, conservation, and rural development programs. 4. Prime Farmland Prime farmlands are those highly productive, versatile, or otherwise unique farmlands that are of strategic importance to the Nation and its regions; therefore, we urge implementation of rational land use policies including policies relatied to zoning, taxation, financial incentives, transportation, and development - at the federal, state, and local levels to reduce the compounding effects of urban sprawl. 5. Food Safety There are two alternatives for wording of this recommendation. Specific issues within them include: a. undertake an assessment of grading and testing standards b. undertake an assessment of monitoring and safety standards c. develop and encourage quick field tests for food safety and quality d. develop an effective educational program for consumers e. pursue international harmonization of food standards f. reform commodity programs to give incentive for production of safe food. g. revise and strengthen existing pesticide regulatory programs h. encourage development of community supported agriculture and farmers' markets as appropriate 6. Pricing Natural Resources The federal government should conduct an inventory of its natural r resource holdings. [It should develop and implement in a phased manner a sale an and lease program that reflects full [social] cost pricing of these resources.] [The review should focus on timber, water, mineral, and grazing land holdings.] [Subsidization of sale or lease prices would be justified only in instances where the preponderance of evidence indicates that the social benefits exceed to social costs.] 7. Integrate Farming approaches This recommendation has two alternative wordings: a. Develop and voluntarily implement site-specific integrated farm plans that jointly address all linkages in agricultural production and the best use of resources including inputs, crops, animals, air, water, and soil. Harmonize approaches among local, state, and federal programs to minimize conflicts and optimize resource management in a balanced pursuit of profitability, efficiency, and environmental protection. b. Develop a strategy to coordinate and implement the full range of environmental objectives (air, water, and soil quality and wildlife habitat) through integrated farming systems. Widespread adoption of farming systems, rather than individual best management practices, will help address the trade-offs between potentially competing goals such as protecting soil versus water quality, loadings from one pollutant versus another, or increased profits versus pollution prevention. The key components of the strategy include: i. consolidation of USDA land retirement and agricultural conservation programs to implement water quality and wildlife habitat priorities. ii. priority implementation of site-specific whole farm plans in impaired and threatened watersheds. iii. use of whole-farm plans and/or local watershed authorities to resolve conflicts among federal, state, and local programs to increase long-term sustainability. iv. reform process by which decisions on resource conservation programs and expenditures are made. At all levels, decisions must be made by groups broadly representing stakeholders and local communities must be empowered to make decisions within federal and state guidelines. 8. Agricultural Research There is a need to redirect agricultural research toward interdisciplinary systems that jointly address profitability, improved efficiency, and environmental protection. Genetic gains in crop and livestock productivity are at the foundation of maintaining sustainability, and every effort to assure this progress must be maintained. Likewise, not all current technologies for sustainable agriculture are being fully used. Educational systems to transfer existing and developing technologies must be improved. On-site demonstrations of integrated systems are imperative for sustainable development. Implementation will require a change in technology emphasis from the basic toward the more applied areas. 9. Intellectual Property Rights Pursue international harmonization of intellectual property tights standards according to principles outlined by the World Intellectual Property Organization and support the objectives of the International Convention on Biological Diversity in order to conserve and ensure access to genetic resources and to protect intellectual property rights. SATF members are being asked to force-rank these nine with 1 being the most important and 9 being least important. How would you rank them? Send me your rankings if you care to go through the exercise. Thank you. Marc Safley a16msafley@attmail.com