Subject: Sustainable Ag Week - 5/4/94 (fwd)
From: [email-masked] (Matthew Lehman)
Date: 6 May 1994 14:46:49 -0400
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

Origonal Message From: Michelle Thom <[email-masked]>

Sustainable Agriculture Week
Produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
May 4, 1994
Volume 3, Number 9
_____________________________________________
HEADLINES
_____________________________________________
- EVERGLADES POLLUTION BILL ADOPTED
- CLINTON RELEASES PESTICIDE REFORM PROPOSAL
- SOME FARMERS MAY BRING ERODIBLE LAND INTO PRODUCTION
- ANOTHER BENLATE CASE GOES TO JURY
- BIOLOGICALS FARING WELL AGAINST POTATO BEETLE
- ORGANIC FARMER SAYS SHE IS NOT AMONG EQUALS
- OTHER NEWS BRIEFS
_____________________________________________
NEWS SUMMARIES
_____________________________________________
EVERGLADES POLLUTION BILL ADOPTED

A long-running dispute between environmental and sugar interests 
has come to an end -- almost.  Florida Governor Lawton Chiles signed 
into law a bill that seeks to restore the Florida Everglades.  Known as 
the Everglades Forever Act, the bill will set up a fund to build huge 
marshes designed to filter out polluted run-off seeping into the 
Everglades.  Lake Okeechobee alone will require 40,000 acres of 
filtration marsh at an estimated cost of $700 million.   The bill also 
sets a short-term goal of 50 parts per billion of phosphorous in water 
and it delays setting a long-term goal for at least 10 years.

Environmental groups reacted with some skepticism.  "From a 
political perspective, one of my fears is that given the profile they 
have given to this, there will be a strong impulse on the part of 
public actors to think they have solved the Everglades problem, 
when in fact what they have done is to settle a lawsuit," said Jim 
Webb of the Wilderness Society.  Webb was referring to the series of 
court battles between the federal government and the sugar industry 
over Everglades policy for the past several years.

Environmental groups have a bigger target on their agenda.  They 
hope to hold a statewide referendum which will ask Florida citizens 
to approve a one penny a pound tax on sugar producers.  The funds 
will go for environmental restoration of the Everglades.  Sugar 
companies have argued the tax will put them out of business.

The Clinton administration said it was pleased with the law but 
acknowledged it is just the beginning.  "I think it is a tremendous 
step forward.  It is a historic step toward systematic restoration of 
the Everglades," said Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt.

Source:  John H. Cushman, Jr., "Florida Adopts Bill on Everglades 
Pollution," NEW YORK TIMES, May 4, 1994.

CLINTON RELEASES PESTICIDE REFORM PROPOSAL

Last week, the Clinton administration released its proposal for 
reforming two of the nation's laws that govern pesticide residues in 
food.  The proposal would allow a certain amount of pesticide 
residues in food products if "a reasonable certainty of no harm" 
exists.  The proposal covers both raw and processed foods.

The Clinton plan would scrap the Delaney Clause of the 1958 Food, 
Drug and Cosmetic Act.  The clause said that no known carcinogens 
would be allowed in processed foods.  The proposal also amends the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).    

Carol Browner of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
outlined the four main features of the bill:
%  Comprehensive studies on pesticide levels in foods commonly 
consumed by children;
%  A health and science-based standard for all pesticides used in food 
production;
%  A deadline for banning pesticides that cannot be proven safe; and
%  Helping farmers reduce pesticide use by adopting methods that 
require less chemical use, such as Integrated Pest Management 
(IPM).

Neither industry nor public interest groups like the Clinton plan.  
Industry groups favor the Lehman-Bliley bill, which would eliminate 
cancer-causing substances that pose more than a negligible risk but 
takes into consideration the economic impacts farmers might face if a 
pesticide must be removed from the market.  Steve Ziller of the 
Grocery Manufacturers said the proposal contains some "fatal flaws."  
"It does not call for the use of the best science we have available," 
said Timothy Willard of the National Food Processors Association.

Consumer and environmental groups support a bill by California 
Representative Henry Waxman.  The Waxman bill would essentially 
prohibit the use of any probable carcinogen.  Of the Clinton plan, Erik 
Olson, environmental attorney, said, "It doesn't go far  enough."

Browner defended the Clinton proposal, calling it the biggest food 
safety breakthrough in 20 years.  She said the bill takes into 
consideration other exposures to pesticides such as home use, 
drinking water and buildings.  "You're looking at all risks, not just 
cancer.  You'll be looking at reproductive risks, you'll be looking at 
effects on the brain, effects on the immune system.  You'll be looking 
at all of the effects, not just some of the effects," she said.

Source:  John H. Cushman, Jr., "Clinton Proposes Revising Pesticide 
Regulations," NEW YORK TIMES, April 27, 1994; Robert Greene, 
"Pesticide Bill," AP, April 23, 1994; "Clinton Pesticide Bill Would Alter 
Calculation of Food Cancer Risks," INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, April 
27, 1994; "Pesticide Regulations to Stress Human Safety," AGRI VIEW 
April 28, 1994; "Clinton Pesticide Plan Pleases No One," GANNETT 
NEWS SERVICE, April 28, 1994; "U.S. Proposing New Pesticide Rules," 
Farming Today, UPI, April 27, 1994.

SOME FARMERS MAY BRING ERODIBLE LAND INTO PRODUCTION

Agriculture experts say some farmers are expected to bring more 
highly-erodible land back into production this year as a result of the 
zero set-aside requirement for corn set by the USDA.  Last year's 
flooding has left corn stocks drastically low.  Secretary of Agriculture 
Mike Espy made the decision to require no land to be set aside for 
corn production out of a desire to replenish depleted stocks.  

While some farmers are expected to bring highly erodible land back 
into production, federal conservation mandates, which require 
farmers to have conservation plans in place by January 1, 1995, will 
have some impact on whether or not farmers bring vulnerable land 
back into production.  "Often, set-aside land is marginal or highly 
erodible, so farmers are more likely to keep it out of production," 
said Stan Wilson of the Illinois Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service (ASCS).  "We won't know for sure until sign up 
is over," he added.

A recent article in the INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, says that 
concern about soil erosion has farmers turning to a new generation of 
farming implements and equipment.  The leader in conservation 
tillage equipment is Deere & Company, the article says, which 
introduced a new line of equipment in 1990 intended to stem soil 
erosion.  A Deere specialist said the 750 model No-Till Drill is 
designed to cut a smaller, but deeper, furrow in soil.  This will allow 
for greater planting depth without harming cover, said Deere's 
conservation tillage specialist Randy Renze.  Deere said this particular 
drill is the best selling drill in the nation, controlling more than 50% 
of the market share.  

Lastly, a letter to the editor in a recent edition of AGWEEK says that 
the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which compensates farmers 
for keeping highly erodible land out of production, saves taxpayers 
money.  The letter writer states that an employee of the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service calculated CRP land in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, 
Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota saved taxpayers $16 
million last year because CRP enrollees do not get as much in 
deficiency payments.

Source:  "More Erodible Land Expected in Production," IOWA FARMER 
TODAY, April 23, 1994; Matt Krantz, "Soil Erosion Worries Give Rise to 
New Class of Farm Tools," INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY, April 28, 
1994; Paul H. Myerchin, "CRP Saves Taxpayers Money," AGWEEK, 
April 28, 1994.

ANOTHER BENLATE CASE GOES TO JURY

Another lawsuit filed against the chemical company DuPont's Benlate 
DF product is about to go to jury.  Attorneys finished closing 
arguments yesterday in a $32.7 million lawsuit filed by five Florida 
specialty crop growers, who allege the Benlate product stunted plant 
growth or killed plants.  An additional 40 cases are lined up behind 
this one in Dade County Circuit Court and at least 250 more are 
pending nationwide.  Attorney for the growers Phillip Sheehe called 
Benlate a "deadly cocktail that destroyed the crops of my clients."  
DuPont attorneys continue to insist Benlate is not the culprit.

Source:  "Jury to Hear Florida Benlate Case," UPI, May 3, 1994.

BIOLOGICALS FARING WELL AGAINST POTATO BEETLE

A USDA scientist says tests show biologicals fared well in the war 
against the Colorado potato beetle.  K. Duane Biever, an entomologist 
with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, said he used a 
stinkbug, a bacterium and a fungus to kill the potato beetles, which 
cost producers an estimated $100 million a year in chemicals.  In 
comparisons, areas where the biological agents were used yielded as 
many potatoes as areas where conventional chemicals were used.  
The bacterium used was Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which carries a 
toxin into the beetles' stomach, and the fungus was Beauveria 
nassiana, which penetrates the beetles' skin and feeds off it.  "As far 
as we know, this is the first time this trio of natural biocontrol agents 
has been tested in potato leaves," said Biever.

Source:  Margaret Scherf, "Farm Scene," AP, May 3, 1994.

ORGANIC FARMER SAYS SHE IS NOT AMONG EQUALS

Catherine Mack decided she wanted to farm organically 14 years ago.  
Today, she runs the only organic farm in Britain approved by the 
Rare Breeds Survival Trust.  Her farm, which brings in about 
#250,000 a year, has 14 breeds of sheep, six types of cattle, four 
kinds of pigs and organic wheat.  Mack said her success was an uphill 
struggle due to the domination of British agriculture by men.  "I went 
to a meeting (of the National Farmers Union) one night about muck-
spreading -- a major problem because of the pollution it can cause.  I 
arrived and was told the cookery demonstration for wives was 
upstairs," she said.  Other women in agriculture expressed the same 
feelings.  They also said they hoped the appointment of Gillian 
Shepherd to the Ministry of Agriculture, one of only two female 
appointees in Prime Minister John Major's cabinet, will help their 
situation.  Mack said the biggest problem is the tradition of 
inheritance, which tends to favor passing farms along to sons or 
other males in the family.  When her daughter was asked if she 
would be taking over her mother's farm one day, she replied, "I want 
to be an engineer."

Source:  Alison Maitland, "They Plough a Lonely Furrow," FINANCIAL 
TIMES, April 27, 1994.

OTHER NEWS BRIEFS

The Environmental Defense Fund released a report this week that 
concluded the decline of biological diversity in the nation's lakes and 
rivers has been severely impacted by non-point source pollution, 
such as that from agricultural production.  The report is entitled the 
BIG KILL and examines 10 cases where novel solutions could be 
developed for environmental problems.

At a recent news conference, environmental groups told Congress it 
must act quickly to protect wetlands, improve water quality and 
prevent floods like the one that occurred in the Midwest last year.  
The 1993 flood "put a microscope on the toxic chemicals and polluted 
runoff that threaten this great resource," said Bill Reddig of the 
Sierra Club about the Mississippi River.

Farmers and ranches who use public lands say they are cautiously 
optimistic about a note from Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in 
which he states he is ready to hear their concerns.  Wade Moser of 
the North Dakota Stockmen's Association said he is pleased, but many 
parts of Babbitt's grazing reform proposal remain unresolved.  Moser 
said grazing fees should be tied to the local private rate and not set 
arbitrarily at a national level.  He also said Babbitt's proposed local 
advisory boards are worrisome.  "They're saying that the local 
rancher (on the board) must be a local resident, but the 
environmentalists on the board could be from New York or Los 
Angeles or anywhere," he said.

Source:  "Waterways Clean Up Could Impact Agriculture," Farming 
Today, UPI, May 3, 1994; "Congress Urged to Protect Wetlands, Clean 
Rivers," REUTER, May 3, 1994; Juan Miguel Pedraza, "Ranchers Fear 
Consequences," AGWEEK, April 28, 1994.
_____________________________________________
RESOURCES
_____________________________________________
DEBT-FOR-NATURE SWAPS TO PROMOTE NATURAL RESOURCE 
CONSERVATION is a publication of the Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO).  The book outlines the debt crisis in the 
developing world, the resulting exploitation of natural resources and 
debt-for-nature swaps as a solution to the problem.  Many 
environmental groups in the North have participated in debt-for-
nature swaps where tracts of land are purchased in exchange for 
paying off a developing country's debt.  Specific case studies and 
potential swaps are also examined.  Debt-for-nature swaps have 
been criticized by many nongovernmental organizations for wresting 
control out of the hands of local citizens, among other reasons.  The 
FAO publication concludes the swaps provide a good potential 
solution for solving debt and natural resource degradation problems.  
The book (F32408) is available for $10.00 from UNIPUB, 4611-F 
Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706, Tel:  (800) 274-4888, Fax:  
(301) 459-0056.
_____________________________________________
EVENTS
_____________________________________________
GREAT LAKES WASHINGTON WEEK, May 21-25, 1994, Washington, 
D.C.  FFI, contact:  Sierra Club Great Lakes Program, 214 North Henry, 
Suite 203, Madison, WI 53703, Tel:  (608) 257-4994.

TOWARD EARTH COMMUNITY:  ECOLOGY, NATIVE WISDOM AND 
SPIRITUALITY, May 22-27, 1994, Killarney, Ireland.  FFI, contact:  
International Transpersonal Association, 20 Sunnyside, Suite A257, 
Mill Valley, CA 94941.

SOIL REMINERALIZATION AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, May 
23-24, 1994, Washington, D.C.  FFI, contact:  David Yarrow, 1227 
Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT 05403, Tel:  (802) 865-1218.

PRAIRIE FESTIVAL 1994:  THE PATTERN WHICH CONNECTS, May 27-
29, 1994, Salina, KS.  FFI, contact:  The Land Institute, 2440 East 
Water Well Road, Salina, KS 67401.

LEGUMES IN CROPPING SYSTEMS OF THE TROPICS AND SUBTROPICS, 
May 30-June 24, 1994, Stuttgart, Germany.  FFI, contact:  Course 
Coordinator, Centre for Agriculture in the Tropics and Subtropics, 
University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany, Tel:  (49) 0711 
459-3742, Fax:  (49) 0711 459-3315.
_____________________________________________
Produced by:  Michelle Thom, Institute for Agriculture and Trade 
Policy, 1313 5th Street SE Suite 303, Minneapolis, MN 55414, Tel:  
(612) 379-5980  Fax:  (612) 379-5982  EMail:  [email-masked] or 
[email-masked].  In addition to this news bulletin, the 
Institute publishes a variety of news bulletins on agriculture, the 
environment and international trade.  All bulletins may be 
reproduced and distributed freely without prior permission as long 
as proper attribution is included.  A copy of any publication in which 
an IATP bulletin is cited would be appreciated.