From pestdesk@igc.apc.org Wed Apr 20 10:51:26 1994
Date: 19 Apr 94 11:50 PDT
From: EcoNet Pesticide Issue Desk <pestdesk@igc.apc.org>
To: "Recipients of conference panna.panups" <panna.panups@conf.igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: panna.panups
Subject: PANUPS: PIC Update

=============================================================
  PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA UPDATES SERVICE
=============================================================

Prior Informed Consent Update

April 18, 1992

A progress report on implementation of the Prior Informed 
Consent (PIC) procedure was presented at the seventh meeting 
of the United Nations Joint Group of Experts on PIC in Rome 
on March 22-25, 1994.  Prior Informed Consent is an 
international procedure that requires that importing 
governments be informed of the hazards of specific pesticide 
products and give explicit consent for their import before 
the pesticides are shipped.  

PIC is jointly operated by the United Nations Food and 
Agriculture Organization (FAO) Plant Protection Division and 
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) through its 
International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) 
in Geneva.  The FAO is the lead agency for operating the PIC 
scheme for pesticides.  The joint FAO/UNEP panel of experts, 
which includes NGO observers, was established to develop and 
guide the process, and now meets about every nine months.

At the recent experts' meeting, it was reported that 
approximately 120 governments, including all major industrial 
countries, are now participating in the PIC process.  To 
participate in PIC, governments must appoint a Designated 
National Authority (DNA) to both receive information and 
convey to exporting industries within their country the 
decisions of other governments.  

Although participation in PIC is high, there are still 
countries that need to appoint DNAs to become part of the 
process.  At present, some significant exporters, notably 
Taiwan and South Korea, have not appointed DNAs, and 
therefore, are not participating in the scheme.  These 
countries will not be notified of the decisions of other 
countries to allow or prohibit the import of PIC pesticides, 
and are not under any obligation to abide by the decisions of 
importing governments.  In contrast, the European Union has 
made PIC legally binding on exporters, and the Clinton 
Administration is currently considering similar legislation.  

Some importing countries, for example Mali and some countries 
of the former USSR, have not yet appointed DNAs.  In other 
instances, though DNAs have been appointed, their governments 
have not given the scheme the backing it needs to work 
effectively.  This may be the result of several factors such 
as a lack of resources or an insufficient understanding of 
the procedure.

Pesticides and chemicals included in the PIC process have 
been banned or severely restricted for health or 
environmental reasons in five or more countries or in any one 
country after January 1, 1992.  Pesticides can also be 
included if they cause health or environmental problems under 
conditions of use in developing countries.  IRPTC provides 
participating governments with information about PIC-listed 
pesticides and the reasons for any control actions in the 
form of a Decision Guidance Document (DGD).  Government 
import decisions whether or not to allow import of PIC-listed 
chemicals are then conveyed to the FAO/UNEP secretariat, 
which informs the DNAs of all government decisions on each 
compound every six months.  Participating governments are 
then required to inform their own export industries of these 
decisions. 

To date, Decision Guidance Documents have been completed for 
twelve pesticides.  There are currently an additional 39 
pesticides and chemicals that are either in the process of 
being confirmed for PIC or awaiting completion of DGDs.  
Pesticides causing problems under conditions of use in 
developing countries continue to be a major concern, since 
many of the pesticides initially included were not 
necessarily those most responsible for health hazards.  

Implementation of PIC has been difficult for many reasons, 
only one of which has been a lack of FAO personnel assigned 
to PIC.  Other problems facing many of the participating 
governments range from establishing decision-making 
structures to understanding what information is important to 
include on forms.  To facilitate implementation, DNA training 
workshops have been held in Chile and Thailand in the past 
year, and another is scheduled for Andean Pact countries in 
July 1994.  Non-governmental organizations are generally 
invited.  No workshops have been scheduled for Africa, though 
European Union funding may be available for such workshops in 
the future.  

Designated National Authorities have expressed concern 
regarding a perceived lack of alternatives to many of the 
pesticides in the PIC procedure and consistently ask for more 
information.  Although the governments banning or severely 
restricting a pesticide are asked to name what they recommend 
as an alternative, this information is rarely given and is 
not always helpful.  Some recommended alternatives have been 
more hazardous than the pesticide in question, while others 
may not be appropriate for the different climatic conditions, 
agricultural practices, etc.  Those attending the experts' 
meeting suggested that attempts should be made to integrate 
PIC activities with other related programs such as IPM and 
the FAO/OECD initiative for developing pesticide use 
reduction programs. 

The FAO has now appointed Bill Murray in the Plant Protection 
Division to work on PIC, and things are beginning to move 
more quickly.  Priorities set at the meeting include 
finalizing and circulating the next set of DGDs, improving 
the quality of DGDs, and revising the Guidance for 
Governments, a basic PIC manual.

Source/contact:  Barbara Dinham, The Pesticides Trust, 
Eurolink Business Centre, 249 Effra Road, London, SW9 1BZ, 
England; phone (44-71) 274-8895; fax (44-71) 274-9084; email 
pesttrust@gn.apc.org.

Resource: Putting PIC in Place. 1993. A guide for public 
interest groups to the PIC procedure as it relates to 
pesticides.  17 pp.  Free to NGOs.  Available from The 
Pesticides Trust (see above).
=============================================================
The Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS) is a 
pesticide-related news service posted weekly by the Pesticide 
Action Network North America Regional Center (PANNA). PANNA is 
located at 116 New Montgomery Street, #810, San Francisco, CA 
94105. Tel: (415) 541-9140. Fax: (415) 541-9253. To receive a 
standard information packet about the Pesticide Action Network 
send a short e-mail message to panna-info@igc.apc.org.
=============================================================


From pestdesk@igc.apc.org Thu Apr 21 23:28:33 1994
Date: 21 Apr 94 14:40 PDT
From: EcoNet Pesticide Issue Desk <pestdesk@igc.apc.org>
To: "Recipients of conference panna.panups" <panna.panups@conf.igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: panna.panups
Subject: PANUPS: Aldicarb Spill in Texas

=============================================================
  PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA UPDATES SERVICE
=============================================================

Aldicarb Spill in Texas Causes Fire, Evacuations, Sends 
People to Hospital

April 21, 1994

On April 13, a truck carrying 23,000 pounds of aldicarb 
crashed near Dallas, Texas, spilling the toxic pesticide and 
sending at least 17 people to the hospital for possible 
exposure.  Aldicarb, one of the Pesticide Action Network's 
Dirty Dozen pesticides, is the most acutely toxic pesticide 
allowed to be sold in the U.S.

The truck carrying aldicarb hit a traffic sign and burst into 
flames on Interstate 20 in Balch Springs, southeast of 
Dallas.  Because of contaminated smoke from the fire, 
officials evacuated a five-mile radius around the accident 
site, including two schools, 1,650 students and dozens of 
homes.  Interstate 20 was also closed.  An emergency room 
physician said that anyone who came in contact with the smoke 
or drove near the accident should take a 15 minute shower and 
see a doctor.  

Seventeen firefighters and police officers who were at the 
scene of the accident were sent to Baylor University Medical 
Center for evaluation.  Afterwards, emergency officials let 
the fire burn itself out so that no additional firefighters 
would be harmed by the smoke.  UPI quoted Balch Springs City 
Manager Angie Warner as saying, "We're telling anyone that 
drove through the smoke to get to their doctor." A hospital 
spokeswoman warned that breathing the fumes can cause 
vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, over-salivating and frequent 
urination.  

Aldicarb, registered in the U.S. since 1970 to control 
insects, mites and nematodes on a variety of crops, is the 
most toxic agricultural chemical currently used in the U.S., 
according to the Center for Disease Control.  Just one drop 
of aldicarb absorbed through the skin is enough to kill an 
adult.  It is also highly toxic to mammals and birds, and to 
marine and freshwater organisms. 

In 1989, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that 
between 34,000 and 82,000 infants and children consumed 
enough aldicarb in potatoes each day to suffer illness.  A 
further 1,500 infants and children were estimated to suffer 
similar effects from consuming aldicarb in bananas.  In 1990, 
Rhone-Poulenc, the sole U.S. registrant of aldicarb, 
voluntarily stopped the sale of the pesticide for use on 
potatoes in response to evidence of aldicarb residues 
exceeding the legal tolerances.  In 1993, EPA revoked the 
tolerance for aldicarb in bananas after evidence indicated 
that high residue levels of the pesticide could result from 
established use rates.  Aldicarb is still registered in the 
U.S. for use on citrus, cotton, dry beans, ornamentals, 
peanuts, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets and sweet potatoes.

Aldicarb has caused many serious accidents and health threats 
in the U.S. and internationally.  In the largest single 
pesticide food poisoning incident ever reported in North 
America, 1,000 people were poisoned by aldicarb-tainted 
watermelon in 1985.  That same year, over 300 people in 
British Columbia, Canada, suffered aldicarb poisoning after 
eating tainted cucumbers.  A 1988 survey of recorded 
pesticide poisonings in Costa Rica showed that aldicarb 
caused more poisonings than any other pesticide.  

Aldicarb was one of the pesticides manufactured at the Union 
Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, the site of the world's worst 
industrial disaster which caused thousands of deaths and tens 
of thousands of serious injuries in 1984.  Eight months after 
the Bhopal disaster, a gas leak at a Union Carbide aldicarb 
factory in Institute, West Virginia, sent 135 people to the 
hospital, but caused no apparent serious injuries.  


Source: United Press International, "Truckload of Pesticides 
Burn in Texas",  April 14, 1994. "The Case Against Aldicarb", 
Pesticide Watch, May 1990. "Unnecessary Risks, " National 
Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, 1992. EPA Press 
Release, February 3, 1992 and July 23, 1993.  PAN Dirty Dozen 
Pesticide Fact Sheets.

Contact:  PANNA.
=============================================================
The Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS) is a 
pesticide-related news service posted weekly by the Pesticide 
Action Network North America Regional Center (PANNA). PANNA is 
located at 116 New Montgomery Street, #810, San Francisco, CA 
94105. Tel: (415) 541-9140. Fax: (415) 541-9253. To receive a 
standard information packet about the Pesticide Action Network 
send a short e-mail message to panna-info@igc.apc.org.
=============================================================


From pestdesk@igc.apc.org Mon May  2 06:56:46 1994
Date: 29 Apr 94 14:54 PDT
From: EcoNet Pesticide Issue Desk <pestdesk@igc.apc.org>
To: "Recipients of conference panna.pointer"
     <panna.pointer@conf.igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: panna.pointer
Subject: PANUPS: Online Resource Pointer #2

From: EcoNet Pesticide Issue Desk <pestdesk>

=============================================================
  PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA UPDATES SERVICE
=============================================================

Online Resource Pointer #2

April 27, 1994

For copies of the following resources, please contact 
the appropriate publishers or organizations directly.

*Development of the Small Farm: From Dependency to Self-
Reliance*, 1993.  Food and Agriculture Organization of 
the United Nations (FAO).  This study focuses on the 
need to promote sustainable agricultural development in 
Latin America and the Caribbean, and lists strategies to 
increase small farmers' production and incomes with less 
dependence on external factors.  104pp.  Polan Lacki, 
FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, 
Casilla 10095, Santiago, Chile; phone (56-2) 218-5323; 
fax (56-2) 218-4427.

*The 1994 National Organic Directory: A Guide to Organic 
Information and Resources*.  Community Alliance with 
Family Farmers (CAFF).  Eleventh annual resource guide 
that connects growers, wholesalers, retailers, organic 
businesses and consumers around the globe.  Each listing 
includes phone numbers, fax numbers, and contact names; 
services available; distinctive features of each 
business; and over 1,000 cross-referenced listings of 
commodities bought and sold.  356 pp.  CAFF, P.O. Box 
464, Davis, CA 95617; phone (916)756-8518; fax (916)756-
7857; email caff@igc.apc.org

*Plant-Derived Pesticides in Developing Countries: 
Possibilities and Research Needs*, 1993.  Ronald Gerrits 
and Edwin van Lantum.  Overview of selected literature 
regarding the potential for botanical pesticide use in 
developing countries.  Topics include saving plant 
genetic diversity in the tropics; problems in the 
registration process in Europe and North America for 
plant-derived pesticides originating in developing 
countries; and the need to develop an international 
database to promote further research.  58pp.  Cost: 
12.50 guilders. Stichting Mondiaal Alternatief 
(Foundation for Ecodevelopment), P.O. Box 36010, 1020 MA 
Amsterdam, Netherlands; phone +31.20.6340925; fax 
+31.20.6340925.0008; email Jacobus@camels.intouch.nl

*How Safe is the Food Supply?*, January-February 1994.  
California Agriculture.  Special issue questions the 
laws implemented by agencies of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) and state governments to safeguard 
our nation's food quality.  From a range of scientific 
viewpoints, this issue explores the topics of acceptable 
risk, risk assessment, the Delaney Clause, and the major 
concerns expressed in the National Academy of Science's 
report, "Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and 
Children."  40pp.  Send US$2.00 money order payable to 
"UC Regents" to: California Agriculture, Division of 
Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of 
California, 300 Lakeside Dr., 6th floor, Oakland, CA 
94612-3560; phone (510)987-0044.

*The Environmental Implications of Trade Agreements*, 
1993.  Canadian Environmental Law Association for the 
Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy.  This study 
recognizes that both trade liberalization in general and 
specific trade agreements have negative consequences for 
the environment and for environmental policy.  The 
authors urge Ontario policy-makers to assess the options 
to resist and counter the negative impacts of these 
policies and to take positive steps to protect the 
province's environment and resources in the face of 
trade pressures.  Canadian Environmental Law 
Association/L'Association canadienne du droit de 
l'environnement, 517 College Street, Suite 401, Toronto, 
Ontario, M6G 4A2, Canada; phone (416) 960-2284; fax 
(416) 960-9392.

*Least-Toxic Pest Management for Termites*, 1994.  Bio-
Integral Resource Center (BIRC).  This valuable resource 
for homeowners, tenants, and professional pest managers 
offers options for treatment of termite infested homes; 
how to inspect your own home; detection and monitoring 
practices for the professional; limitations of 
conventional treatments; prevention of termite damage; 
physical controls (e.g., barriers, heat, electricity); 
and least-toxic chemical control (e.g., borates, 
diatomaceous earth).  US$17.50 postage paid (CA 
residents add $1.24 tax).  BIRC, P.O. Box 7414, 
Berkeley, CA 94707; phone (510)524-2567; fax (510)524-
1758.

*Pesticides - How Research Has Succeeded and Failed in 
Informing Policy: DDE and the Link With Breast Cancer*, 
1994.  Mary S. Wolff, Ph.D.  Paper delivered at the 
National Symposium, Preventing Child Exposures to 
Environmental Hazards: Research and Policy Issues in 
Washington, D.C. on March 18-19, 1994 explores the new 
evidence that supports a possible relationship between 
breast cancer and exposure to organochlorines through 
the diet.  Mary S. Wolff, Ph.D., Department of Community 
Medicine, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Mount 
Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029.

*Sowing the Seeds For Our Future: Sustainable 
Agriculture Towards Food Security and Enhanced Quality 
of Life*, 1993.  Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform 
and Rural Development (ANGOC).  Proceedings of the 
Second Asian Development Forum in Cagayan de Oro, 
Philippines on February 22-26, 1993, documents 
commitments of NGO representatives from seven Asian 
countries (e.g., Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, 
Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) on strategies to 
incorporate sustainable action plans into their agendas.  
182pp.  ANGOC, P.O. Box 3107, QCCPO 1103 Quezon City, 
Metro Manila, Philippines; phone (632)816-3033; 
fax(632)815-1198; Econet: angocMCI: ANGOC_PN 

An Economic Analysis of Organic Cotton as a Niche Crop 
in Texas, 1994.  Mina Mohammadioun, et al.  This report 
provides a background for organic cotton, placing it in 
the context of the debate concerning "conventional" and 
"alternative" farming methods and outlines the natural 
advantages of the Texas High Plains as an ideal region 
for growing cotton organically.  The report also 
includes a market analysis for the production and 
consumption of organic cotton and reviews factors that 
affect the demand for organic cotton; developments in 
processing and retailing organic cotton products; and 
analyzes the economic impacts of organic cotton on the 
Texas economy.  56pp.  US$10.00 (TX residents add 8% 
sales tax).  Natural Fibers Research and Information 
Center, Bureau of Business Research, P.O. Box 7459, 
Austin, TX 78713-7459; phone (512)471-1616; fax (512) 
471-1063.

The Online Resource Pointer is a new feature of PANUPS, 
PANNA's online news update service.  The Online Resource 
Pointer is an extension of the Resource Pointer, a 
regular feature in our quarterly newsletter, the Global 
Pesticide Campaigner, which lists selected books, 
reports, periodicals, articles and videos that focus on 
issues related to pesticides and sustainable 
agriculture.  

The Online Resource Pointer is available to our online 
PANUPS subscribers and can be found in the appropriate 
EcoNet conferences, the public conference on RTK NET, 
GeoNet in the PESTICIDES-BBS bulletin board, the EcoNet 
echo on FidoNet, the Sustainable Agriculture Network 
(SANET) on BitNet, and PENpages agriculture information 
service at Penn State University.

We welcome those interested in having resources listed 
in the Online Resource Pointer to send review copies of 
publications, videos or other sources to our office 
(address listed below) or to contact Publications and 
Information Coordinator Ellen Hickey or Information 
Program Associate Gina Bearse for further information.  
=============================================================
The Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS) is a
pesticide-related news service posted weekly by the Pesticide 
Action Network North America Regional Center (PANNA). PANNA 
is located at 116 New Montgomery Street, #810, San Francisco, 
CA 94105. Tel: (415) 541-9140. Fax: (415) 541-9253. To receive 
a standard information packet about the Pesticide Action Network 
send a short e-mail message to panna-info@igc.apc.org. 
=============================================================


From pestdesk@igc.apc.org Fri May 13 10:37:17 1994
Date: 12 May 94 15:50 PDT
From: EcoNet Pesticide Issue Desk <pestdesk@igc.apc.org>
To: "Recipients of conference panna.panups" <panna.panups@conf.igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: panna.panups
Subject: PANUPS: Farmworker Protection Delay



=============================================================
   PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA UPDATES SERVICE
=============================================================

U.S. Farmworker Protection Standards Delayed

May 12, 1994

	A compromise bill signed by President Clinton in April
1994 has again delayed the implementation of rules created
to protect agricultural workers from pesticide exposure.  The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had planned to implement the
protections guaranteed under the Worker Protection Standard (WPS)
on April 21, 1994, but pressure from farmers and agribusiness
persuaded Congress to postpone the date until January 1, 1995.
Opponents complain that the rules are excessive and too costly to
implement, but farmworkers contend that the standard is reasonable
and long overdue.  Farmworkers have been systematically excluded
from legislation that governs standards of health and safety in
the workplace, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act
(OSHA).  One small victory was won in 1988 when the OSHA standard
mandating that toilets, handwashing facilities and clean drinking
water be provided by employers with more than 10 employees was
expanded to include farmworkers.
	Two protections were not affected by the compromise bill
and issued as scheduled: longer reentry intervals following
pesticide application; and improved personal protective equipment
requirements for handlers and early entry workers.  Congress
postponed all other provisions including notice to workers about
applications, safety training and dissemination of information
about pesticides, and safety requirements for protective clothing.
	Pressure to delay enforcement mounted steadily as the
April deadline approached. In a letter sent to the White House on
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA)
letterhead, 42 state agencies expressed their disappointment with
the EPA's "continued lack of regard for our concern as state
regulators." The signatories warned Clinton that enforcement of
the farmworker protection rule would be disastrous at this time.
"It is simply impossible for us as state regulators and farmers to
implement this program nationwide as currently designed and
scheduled." NASDA requested that enforcement of the farmworker
protections be delayed until October 23, 1995.
	Congress responded to NASDA's concerns by postponing
implementation until January 1995.  Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Mo, a
cosponsor of the compromise bill, has stated that it gives the
EPA, farmers and agribusiness ample time to "work out the details
and make sure these new standards are indeed needed."  Congress
maintains that the nine month suspension allows enough time for
the EPA to provide necessary training and safety manuals to help
farmers comply with the regulations.  Materials had not been
distributed by the EPA in time for the original start up date.
	Despite claims that there is a low incidence of pesticide
poisoning in the U.S., evidence shows that a significant number of
farmworkers suffer from pesticide-related illnesses.  According to
a recent report from the General Accounting Office, 4 million
people may be exposed each year to pesticides.  The EPA estimates
that 20,000 people are poisoned.  Farmworker advocates say that
figures are low because many poisonings go unreported, especially
since farmworkers may often have no health insurance or
transportation to the hospital.
	People of color suffer a disproportionate number of
pesticide poisonings.  A study by the U.S. Department of Labor
found that of the more than two million hired farmworkers in the
United States, 77% identify themselves as members of an ethnic or
racial minority group.  This combined with the structural and
social conditions that dominate life in the U.S.  agricultural
sector increases the risk of pesticide exposure for ethnic
minorities.
	The Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. anticipates further
attacks on the WPS when Congress holds hearings on the rules this
summer.  The fund is asking people to contact their legislators
urging them to support the standard without further delays, while
directing the EPA to strengthen the protections thereby preventing
unnecessary injury and illness.

Sources: Pesticide and Toxic Chemical News, March 23 and March 16,
1994; The News & Observer, November, 10, 1993; Confronting
Environmental Racism, edited by Robert Bullard, 1993.

Contact: Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc., 2001 S Street, N.W., Suite
210, Washington, D.C., 20009, phone (202) 462-8192; fax (202)
462-0472.

============================================================= 
The Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS) is a
pesticide-related news service posted weekly by the Pesticide
Action Network North America Regional Center (PANNA). PANNA is
located at 116 New Montgomery Street, #810, San Francisco, CA
94105. Tel: (415) 541-9140. Fax: (415) 541-9253. To receive a
standard information packet about the Pesticide Action Network
send a short e-mail message to panna-info@igc.apc.org.
=============================================================

From panna@igc.apc.org Mon May 23 18:14:42 1994
Date: Mon, 23 May 1994 13:03:10 -0700
From: Pesticide Action Network North America Reg Ctr <panna@igc.apc.org>
To: cpenfold@roseworthy.adelaide.edu.au, mstein@igc.apc.org,
    sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu
Subject: PANUPS: Action Alert


=============================================================
  PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA UPDATES SERVICE
=============================================================

May 20, 1994

                        ACTION NEEDED
                             to 
                    Protect Farmer's Rights 
            Under U.S. Plant Variety Protection Act

Hearings on H.R. 2927, Amendments to the Plant Variety 
Protection Act, will be held on Tuesday, May 24th, before the 
House Agriculture Subcommittee on Department Operations and 
Nutrition. Though seemingly innocuous, this bill threatens to 
eliminate the U.S. farmer's traditional right to save and sell 
proprietary seed, jeopardizes conservation and exchange of 
biological resources, and exasperates problems of crop genetic 
erosion.

Letters and/or phone calls to members of the House Agriculture 
Committee are needed now!

The seed industry, now dominated by chemical and pharmaceutical 
corporations, wants to take away the farmer's right to save and 
sell limited quantities of proprietary seed. Here's the 
American Seed Trade Association's official position:

Farmers should have restrictions on their ability to save and 
plant saved seed of varieties protected by PVP and varieties 
which contain patented genetic components. The "right to save 
seed" exemption for farmers under the PVP Act must be 
significantly tightened to prevent abuses which now 
substantially undermine breeders rights, and farmers rights to 
sell seed for reproductive purposes should be eliminated.(see 
note 1)

% Let your Congressional representative know that you oppose 
greater monopoly control over seeds!

% Urge members of Congress to preserve the farmer's exemption 
under PVPA. No action should be taken to eliminate the farmer's 
right to save proprietary seed for re-planting on his/her own 
holdings or to sell limited quantities of seed to his/her 
neighbor.

% Ask them to decline to ratify the 1991 UPOV Convention, 
pending further study and a comprehensive policy review of the 
social and economic impacts of plant breeders' rights and other 
forms of intellectual property rights on farmers, plant 
breeding and germplasm activities, and future access to and 
exchange of plant genetic resources, both domestically and 
internationally.

*What is the Plant Variety Protection Act?* 

As an alternative to the industrial patent system, the Plant 
Variety Protection Act (PVPA) was established in 1970 to 
provide breeders with limited monopoly rights over the 
production, marketing and sale of new, sexually reproduced 
(open-pollintated) plant varieties for 18 years. The "farmers' 
exemption" has always been a prominent feature of the Plant 
Variety Protection Act. It permits farmers to save and re-plant 
proprietary seed from their harvest, and to sell limited 
quantities of harvested seed for reproductive purposes without 
having to pay royalties or ask permission.

H.R. 2927 seeks to restrict the farmer's exemption by making it 
illegal for a farmer to sell limited quantities of proprietary 
seed to his/her neighbor. This would give the seed industry 
virtual monopoly control over protected varieties, and will 
ultimately lead to a ban on farmer-saved seed.

Letters and Phone Calls to Members of Congress Needed Hearings 
on H.R. 2927 will be held on May 24 before the Ag. Subcommittee 
on Dept. Operations and Nutrition. The bill was introduced by 
Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Kika de la Garza (D-
Texas), George Brown (D-California) and Pat Roberts (R-Kansas).

The following members of Congress need to know that Amendments 
to the Plant Variety Protection Act are controversial, with 
negative implications for farmers, U.S. agriculture and world 
food security.

Members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Dept. 
Operations and Nutrition

	Charles Stenholm (D-TX) Robert Smith (R-OR) George Brown 
	(D-CA) Bill Emerson (R-MO) Bill Sarpalius (D-TX) Steve 
	Gunderson (R-WI) Calvin Dooley (D-CA) Wayne Allard (R-CO) 
	Jay Inslee (D-WA) Bill Barrett (R-NE) Glenn English (D-
	OK) Tom Ewing (R-IL) Dan Glickman (D-KS) Jack Kingston 
	(R-GA) Tim Johnson (D-SD) Charles Canady (R-FL) Cynthia 
	McKinney (D-GA) Sanford Bishop (D-GA) Harold Volkmer (D-
	MO) Eva Clayton (D-NC) Tim Holden (D-PA) Charlie Rose (D-
	NC)

	Address: US House of Representatives, Washington, DC 
	20515

If you have questions, or need more information, please contact 
Hope Shand at RAFI-USA, P.O. Box 655, Pittsboro, NC 27312; 
phone (919) 542- 1396; fax (919) 542-2460; email 
rafiusa@igc.apc.org.

1 American Seed Trade Association, "ASTA Position Statement on 
Intellectual Property Rights for the Seed Industry." Approved 
by the ASTA Board of Directors, June 29, 1990.

=============================================================
The Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS) is a 
pesticide-related news service posted weekly by the Pesticide 
Action Network North America Regional Center (PANNA). PANNA is 
located at 116 New Montgomery Street, #810, San Francisco, CA 
94105. Tel: (415) 541-9140. Fax: (415) 541-9253. To receive a 
standard information packet about the Pesticide Action Network 
send a short e-mail message to panna-info@igc.apc.org.
=============================================================


From pestdesk@igc.apc.org Thu May 26 05:10:06 1994
Date: 25 May 94 17:04 PDT
From: EcoNet Pesticide Issue Desk <pestdesk@igc.apc.org>
Reply to: "Conference panna.panups" <panna.panups@conf.igc.apc.org>
To: "Recipients of conference panna.panups" <panna.panups@conf.igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: panna.panups
Subject: PANUPS: Biodiversity in Zimbabwe

From: EcoNet Pesticide Issue Desk <pestdesk>

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  PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA UPDATES SERVICE
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Zimbabwean Farmers Act to Protect Biodiversity

May 20, 1994

Ninety percent of all farmers in Zimbabwe use hybrid maize 
seeds, which are aggressively marketed by multi-national seed 
companies including Pioneer (USA) and Pannar (South Africa).  
Although farmers use these seeds hoping to grow surplus crops 
and earn extra cash, modern hybrids can limit plant genetic 
diversity, damage the local ecology and undermine household 
food security, according to Arthur Chaguma of ENDA, a Zimbabwe 
NGO. 

To address these problems, ENDA (Environnement et Developpement 
du Tier-Monde) - Zimbabwe has started a partnership with 
farmers to collect indigenous seed material and test their 
suitability for different field conditions.  Over 250 varieties 
of indigenous cereals have been collected.  ENDA encourages 
peasant farmers to produce their own seeds and supports farmer-
led research and training programs.  These programs have 
produced indigenous materials that store well and require few 
chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  Farmers also may earn 
income from producing seed for both the domestic market and for 
export to other countries in Southern Africa.

In the March/April 1994 edition of "Landmark," a Farmers' World 
Network publication, Chaguma explains that farmers formerly 
spread their risk by cultivating a wide range of crops.  In dry 
regions, farmers grew small grains, drought-resistant sorghum 
and local varieties of open-pollinated maize on up to 30% of 
arable land.  But the government considered indigenous seeds 
inferior and together with agribusiness aggressively promoted 
"modern" hybrid varieties.   Government policies based on this 
approach penalized farmers who intercropped to spread risk and 
did not recognize farmers' role in the management of plant 
genetic resources.  

Indigenous seeds tend to be drought-tolerant, require minimal 
external inputs and perform well when the natural organic 
fertility of the soil is properly managed.  They  also tend to 
have good storage properties, resisting attacks by weevils and 
other pests.  Overall, Chaguma states, traditional farming 
systems in Zimbabwe brought comparatively reliable yields and 
minimized risk of total crop failure.  

Rather than providing profits for local farmers as promised by 
agribusiness, hybrid seeds have aggravated household food 
security and degraded local natural resources because they 
require expensive chemical inputs and are not drought tolerant.  
These are serious constraints in a country where the majority 
of the rural population  -- about 4.5 million people -- live in 
areas with low rainfall and poor agricultural soils.  In 1992, 
Zimbabwe experienced the worst drought of the century and had 
to import emergency food aid because several basic food crops 
(including maize) were not drought resistant.  

Chaguma reports that with the use of hybrid seeds, many 
households became dependent on agribusiness for pesticides and 
chemical fertilizers, whose prices continue to rise beyond the 
reach of peasant farmers.  But hybrid seeds typically fail 5 
years out of 6 in the drier regions of Zimbabwe and plant 
genetic resources continue to be eroded.  Some 65% of the 
country's population therefore faces food insecurity, according 
to Chaguma.  

Unfortunately agribusiness, plant breeders and extension agents 
still tend to focus on yield as the main benchmark for seed 
performance.  In contrast, resource poor farmers have different 
and broader criteria, explains Chaguma.  They prefer crops with 
a broader genetic base to allow staggering of labor at peak 
work periods, to cope with different environmental factors and 
for selection of different end-use qualities. 

Source: Arthur Chaguma, "Farmers Lead the Way in Zimbabwe", 
Landmark, No. 2, March/April 1994.  (c/o Farmers' World 
Network, Arthur Rank Centre, National Agricultural Centre, 
Stoneleigh, Warks CV8 2LZ, England, tel: 0203 696969 ex. 338, 
fax: 0203 696900) 

Contact: Arthur Chaguma, Food Security Division Manager, ENDA, 
PO Box 3492, Harare, Zimbabwe, tel: 263-4-708-568, fax: 263-4-
729-204. 

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The Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS) is a 
pesticide-related news service posted weekly by the Pesticide 
Action Network North America Regional Center (PANNA). PANNA is 
located at 116 New Montgomery Street, #810, San Francisco, CA 
94105. Tel: (415) 541-9140. Fax: (415) 541-9253. To receive a 
standard information packet about the Pesticide Action Network 
send a short e-mail message to panna-info@igc.apc.org.
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