Subject: WSAA NEWSLETTER PART 3 of 3
From: [email-masked] (World Sustainable Agriculture Association)
Date: 1 Jul 1994 20:51:54 -0400
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

PART III     WSAA NEWSLETTER    SUMMER 1994

FOCUS ON HEALTH:  WSAA Health Directorate Update (synopsis)

NEWS IN BRIEF
     "Two Years After UNCED" Conference Set for July in US
     America's Farmers are Gaining Ground
     Australians Look to Future with Sustainable Farming
     Special Thanks to Contributing Editors

RESOURCES
     Brief Reviews of Publications:
     Two Steps Backward, One Step Forward:  Cuba
     Growing our Future:  Food Security and the Environment
     Growing Dilemmas:  Guatemala, the Environment, Global Economy
     Pesticide Problems in Caribbean Basin
     FactSheet on Agriculture and the World Bank

FOCUS ON RESEARCH:  Working with Nature in Mexico

A WSAA HEALTH DIRECTORATE UPDATE (synopsis)
by Maria Arias-Zeballos, WSAA/Health and Medical Science 
Directorate Coordinator

	On March 9th, 1994, at the invitation of the Health and 
Environment Task Force of the UN NGO Planning Comittee for the 
Fourth International Conference on Women, three of WSAA Health 
Directorate members, Dr. Kazuo Nitta, Dr. Patrick Madden and Dr. 
Bernard Bihari, had the unique opportunity to raise public awareness 
with respect to several of WSAA's Health and Medical Science 
Directorate goals* at a discussion panel organized by Maria Arias-
Zeballos, co-chair of the Health and Environment Task Force and 
WSAA Health Directorate Coordinator.   A fourth speaker, Dr. Rosalie 
Bertell, also spoke to the well-attended gathering of scientists, local 
and international NGO representatives and concerned individuals.   
The Health and Environment Task Force has been extremely active in 
the preparatory process, which will continue through the 4th UN 
Conference on Women in Beijing, China in September of 1995.

Impact on health and well-being

	Dr. Kazuo Nitta, Chairman of the WSAA Health Directorate 
travelled from Japan to participate as a panelist.  He discussed the 
damaging residual chemicals and food additives in conventional 
foods available at the supermarket, and how the complex 
combinations of these chemicals can produce harmful effects in the 
body.  His presentation also stressed the diverse environmental, 
physical and spiritual components influencing health.   He presented 
a case of atopic dermatitis to illustrate how in particular two of these 
factors, the spiritual element, through the practice of Johrei, and 
proper nutrition comprised of a diet of natural foods, can be effective 
in improving various health disorders.

Women, Health and Environment

	Dr. Patrick Madden, Executive Vice President of WSAA, spoke 
of the relationship between the environment and women's health, 
portraying women at the same time as victims, stewards of the earth 
and agents of change.  He introduced data on the detrimental effects 
of pesticides on farm workers' health, documenting the reported 
number of cases of fatal poisonings per year, taking into account the 
largely unknown number of toxic poisoning cases both in developed 
and developing nations.  In discussing the findings of various 
scientific studies, his presentation eloquently illustrated the reasons 
why pesticides especially affect women.  He expressed concern about 
the significantly elevated incidences of disease among women 
farmers, in particular various types of cancer, infections, 
reproductive effects and fetal abnormalities, neuro-toxic effects and 
general suppression of immune system function.

	A greater need for involvement of women in their role of 
activists and agents of change was stressed in order to get at the 
cause of these problems, to find alternatives to pesticides and to help 
shape policies and institutions effectively.  His concluding reference 
to American Indian wisdom reminded the audience of our role as 
caretakers and stewards of the earth.

Relevant Language Introduced into Draft for Women's Conference

	Another noteworthy event for advancing Health Directorate 
goals has been the introduction of relevant language in the official 
Platform of Action for the Women's Conference (the official document 
being drafted by representatives of governments working toward the 
Beijing Conference.)  Arias-Zeballos was instrumental in including the 
need for "Disease Prevention and Health Promotion" in the official 
language of the document. She also worked closely with the government 
of Papua, New Guinea for inclusion of acceptable language in UN Resolution 
L-17 that contains language for risk prevention and health promotion 
education to counter the most serious toxic hazards:  toxic chemicals 
and biological and radioactive contamination, that threaten women's, 
men's and planetary health.  This resolution, while somewhat 
controversial for some governments, is expected to be passed, perhaps 
with some modification, at the next UN Preparatory Committee 
meeting in March, 1995.

* Eds. Note:  The goals of the WSAA Health and Medical Science 
Directorate include researching theories and techniques which prevent 
and cure illness and promote wellness, with the aim of achieving 
improved health in a world in which detrimental aspects of civilization 
are harming people at an alarming rate.  Addressing the relationship 
between wellness and natural, social and living environments is a 
priority.

NEWS IN BRIEF

"TWO YEARS AFTER UNCED" CONFERENCE SET FOR JULY IN US

	Sustainable food systems will be high on the agenda at the
"Two Years After UNCED -- Exploring Partnerships for Sustainable 
Development" Conference in Davenport, Iowa, USA July 20-24, 1994.  
It is sponsored by the Citizens Network for Sustainable Development,
the Stanley Foundation, and the Iowa Division UNA-USA.  Linking 
sustainable agriculture and sustainable development is a key focus
of the gathering, which aims to make the links between grassroots 
local initiatives towards sustainability and global policy-making 
arenas.  

	The Citizens Network, established to facilitate U.S. citizen 
involvement in the UN Conference on Environment and Development 
(Rio Earth Summit), continues to strengthen and expand coalition
building efforts, and provides additional channels to U.S. policy 
makers who are required to submit to the United Nations A national 
report on progress made since Agenda 21, the 800 page "blueprint 
for sustainable development in the 21st century."  A workshop on 
sustainable agriculture and the 1995 UN Commission on Sustainable 
Development, development of a sustainable food systems platform, 
and strategizing ways citizens can work with government on the 
National Report process to further their own agenda for agricultural 
sustainability will be featured.  Groups from other countries will also
 attend to share their experiences and learn from U.S. efforts.

	Contact:  WSAA or Sustainable Food Systems Working Group, c/o
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development, 73 Spring Street, New
York, NY 10012;  Tel: (718) 622-4314; Fax: (212) 431-4427; 
Email: [email-masked]

AMERICA'S FARMERS ARE GAINING GROUND

	Paul W. Johnson, chief of USDA's Soil Conservation Service, 
announced recently that "agriculture is well on its way in carrying 
out the most intensive conservation effort ever undertaken on 
private lands."   A status review of the conservation plans for 
America's most highly erodible cropland are being carried out on 
schedule, and USDA's Soil Conservation Service has found that fifty 
percent of these plans have already been fully implemented.

	The U.S. Congress legislated a conservation provision in the 
Food Security Act of 1985, which linked soil conservation to farm 
program benefits for the first time.  Under the law, producers need 
to have their plans fully implemented by December 31, 1994 to stay 
eligible for USDA program benefits.

	It is expected that erosion on the most highly erodible lands 
will be reduced by about 66 percent going from an estimated 
national average of 17.5 tons per acre in 1985 to 6 tons per acre 
annually by the end of 1994.  Benefits include reduced damage
by soil erosion to water and air quality, enhancement of wildlife
habitat, and protection of the long-term productivity of America's 
most vulnerable cropland.

	Source:  USDA This Week - Natural Resources and Environment 
Edition, Office of Communications.  Contact:  Diana Morse at the Soil 
Conservation Service; Tel: (202) 720-4772 

AUSTRALIANS LOOK TO FUTURE WITH SUSTAINABLE FARMING

	Over 200 people attended "Environmental Agriculture Towards 
2000" (ISEAT 2000), a highly successful hands on working symposium 
held in Queensland, Australia June 5-8, 1994 to "share issues and 
concerns, to learn, network and to find answers."  WSAA joined with 
Griffith University, Greening Australia, Queensland Department of 
Primary Industries, Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA), Australian 
Cane Farmers Association (ACFA), Horticultural Research and 
Development Corporation (HRDC) and several Rotary Clubs from across 
Australia to host the conference.  An organizing committee from these 
groups and others worked to insure broad participation.  Sponsorship 
of young farming couples by Rotary International, interest by many 
producer groups and strong media coverage insured a stimulating 
conference which has already sparked follow-up efforts as both rural 
and urban Australians tackle the task of sustaining both producers 
and the land.

	Proceedings are available from Paul Saffigna, Griffith University, 
Tel: 61 7 875 7492; Fax: 61 7 875 5282.  An electronic computer 
conference has been set up for the Australian Media and Communications 
Group of WSAA, the Sustainable Agriculture Network Media Chat 
(san.media.chat) on the Pegasus Network of the Association for Progressive 
Communications (APC).  Contact Sabina Douglas-Hill, Fax: 61 6 281 8590; 
email: [email-masked]; or Geoff Wilson, Fax: 61 7 849 2247.

Special Thanks to Contributing Editors Mark Ellis and Kim 
Bumgarner

	The review of resources on Central America and Focus on 
Research for this issue was done by Mark Ellis, contributing editor 
to the WSAA Newsletter.  Mark has four years international 
experience promoting grass-roots sustainable agricultural 
development and resource management in West Africa and two 
years Peace Corps service in Guatemala.  Fluent in French and 
Spanish, his background includes base-line data collection, proposal 
writing, cooperative group formation and training, and grassroots 
project management.

	Kim Bumgarner also contributed a great deal to this issue 
of the WSAA Newsletter.  A specialist in population and development 
issues, Kim brings her expertise to both the newsletter and the 
WSAA Resource Center on Sustainable Agriculture.  She recently
reviewed over 30 international sustainable agriculture resources for 
WSAA's contribution to the Showcase of Sustainable Agriculture 
Information and Educational Materials, sponsored by the Sustainable 
Agriculture Network (SAN), a consortium of universities, 
government, business and non-profit organizations in the United 
States dedicated to information exchange.  For further information 
about the Showcase, contact Gabriel Hegyes, c/o Alternative Farming 
Systems Information Center (AFSIC), Room 111, National Agricultural 
Library, 10301 Baltimore Blvd., Beltsville, MD, USA 20705-2351; 
Tel: (301) 504-6425; Fax: (301) 504-6409; Email (Internet): 
[email-masked] 

Editors' Note:  The WSAA Newsletter, expanded from four pages to 
twelve, is now being produced quarterly.  Please contact the 
Washington Office with comments, suggestions, and/or ideas about 
what information would be most useful to you.  For subscriptions 
and/or change of address, contact the Office of the Executive Director 
in Los Angeles (addresses are elsewhere in this issue.)  Subscriptions 
are US$18/year.  People's organizations, NGOs and interested others 
working in sustainable agriculture are invited to exchange 
newsletters.   Please send them to Washington where they will be 
included in our small but growing Resource Center.  Thank you for 
your work, your encouragement, and your interest in sustainable 
agriculture.

RESOURCES

Publications

TWO STEPS BACKWARD, ONE STEP FORWARD:  CUBA'S 
NATIONWIDE EXPERIMENT WITH ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
Reviewed by Roger Blobaum

	A new report by an international scientific delegation 
concludes that Cuba is "undergoing what is essentially the largest 
conversion from  conventional agriculture to organic or semi-organic 
farming that the world has ever known."  The report was prepared 
by members of a fact-finding mission headed by Peter Rosset, 
Stanford University entomologist and agricultural ecologist.  The 20-
member delegation, which spent 10 days in Cuba last November, 
concluded that the new direction is based on the Low Input 
Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) approach being demonstrated in the 
United States.

	A new approach was dictated by necessiYy.  Before the collapse 
of its favorable trade relationship with Soviet bloc nations at the end 
of the 1980s, Cuba was importing all of the oil it needed, much of its 
machinery, most of its farm chemicals, and more than half its food. 
In 1990, oil imports were drastically cut, pesticide imports dropped 
more than 60 percent, fertilizer imports fell 77 percent, and food 
imports were cut in half.

A Dual Challenge:  Double Food Production and Halve Inputs

	"Suddenly, an agricultural system almost as modern and 
industrialized as that of California was faced with a dual challenge:  
the need to essentially double food production while more than 
halving inputs," the delegation reported.  "At the same time it had to 
maintain export crop production to avoid further erosion of the 
country's desperate foreign exchange position."

	The delegation reported that Cuba, with 11 percent of Latin 
America's scientists and a well-developed research infrastructure, 
was in a unique position to move its agriculture in an entirely new 
direction.  "Luckily, an 'alternative agriculture' movement had taken 
hold among Cuban researchers as early as 1982, and many promising 
but relatively unused research results were available for immediate 
and widespread implementation," the delegation noted.  "Cuban 
scientists were also able to rapidly switch the bulk of their new 
research in the same new direction."

New Approach in Cuba Replacing Unsustainable Practices

	The new approach is replacing dependence on heavy farm 
machinery and on oil and chemical inputs with animal traction, crop 
and pasture rotations, soil conservation, organic soil amendments, 
biological pest control, and microbial fertilizers and pesticides that 
are non-toxic to humans.  Members of the delegation included two 
geographers from the University of California at Los Angeles, an 
entomologist and a soil scientist from the University of California at 
Berkeley, two ecologists and an entomologist from the University of 
Michigan, and a plant pathologist from the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture.

	Copies of Two Steps Backward, One Step Forward:  Cuba's 
Nationwide Experiment with Organic Agriculture are available for 
$8.95 plus $1.50 postage and handling from Global Exchange, 2017 
Mission St., Rm. 303, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.

GROWING OUR FUTURE:  FOOD SECURITY AND THE  
ENVIRONMENT.  Edited by Katie Smith and Tetsunao Yamamori, 
this book presents eight papers and six case studies given at an 
Arizona State University symposium in November, 1991.  Preceding 
the United Nations' 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, the meeting attracted 
over 100 conservationists, agriculturalists and resource managers 
from around the world to discuss people powered initiatives for 
sustainable development.  	

	Papers presented address important development topics, 
including a debate of growth versus development, strategies for 
spreading development messages, a framework for strengthening 
and encouraging grassroots NGO involvement, and a model based 
on the Navajo belief of development as a circle including family, 
environment, economics and spiritual life.  

	Case studies representing grassroots and institutional efforts 
offer examples of the range of responses to the challenges of 
alleviating hunger and poverty while preserving Earth's 
environmental integrity.  Of particular interest to activists in 
sustainable agriculture is an essay by Atherton Martin, former 
Minister of Agriculture of the Caribbean nation of Dominica and 
former general secretary of the Dominican Farmers Union, "People-
Centered Development, Democracy and the Environment -- Towards 
a Sustainable Development Alternative Through the Transformation 
of Agriculture."  He notes that "the very technologies and systems of 
modern agriculture, which were heralded as the means for resolving 
the problems of hunger and satisfying the demands of international 
trade, have contributed to the degradation of soils and pollution of 
the water systems so essential to sustain agricultural production."  

	Published by Kumarian Press, Inc., 630 Oakwood Avenue, 
Suite 119, West Hartford, Connecticut  06110-1529.  US$19.95 
paperback, 172 pp.  Order toll free in the U.S. by credit card Tel: 
1-800-289-2664; Inquiries:  (203) 953-0214; Fax: (203) 953-8579.  

GROWING DILEMMAS:  GUATEMALA, THE ENVIRONMENT, 
AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.  A joint publication of AVANCSO 
(Asociacion para el Avance de las Ciencias Sociales en Guatemala) and 
PACCA (Policy Alternatives for the Caribbean and Central America) 
examines a part of the New Global Economy from the perspective of 
Guatemala's indigenous majority by explaining the social, economic 
and ecological impacts of adopting a nontraditional agricultural 
export strategy.  It demonstrates how many factors (diminishing 
land availability, a need for foreign capital, falling grain prices, 
multilateral aid agency policies) have forced farmers to grow 
nontraditional crops, highlights the problems created by their 
cultivation, and proposes alternative strategies to be implemented at 
the local, national and international level to "address some of the 
problems of inequity and ecological damage that characterize the 
new global economy."  Nominal cost.  Contact the Documentation 
Exchange, PO Box 2327, Austin, Texas 78768, (512) 476-9841, or 
PACCA, Suite 2, 1506, 19th St. NW, Washington, DC  20036, (202) 
332-6333.

RECURRING CONTRADICTIONS IN AGRARIAN DEVELOPMENT:  
PESTICIDE PROBLEMS IN CARIBBEAN BASIN 
NONTRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE.  This paper by Douglas L. 
Murray, Stanford University, and Polly Hoppin, World Wildlife Fund, 
chronicles the introduction of nontraditional agricultural export 
crops, and their subsequent pesticide dependency growth, into the 
Caribbean basin by presenting two country case studies - Guatemala 
and the Dominican Republic.  It details the causes and effects of 
increased pesticide use, including residue problems, upsurges in 
secondary pests, and the mechanisms by which the involvement of 
large national and transnational firms tends to marginalize small 
holder-independent farmers.  The authors propose that fundamental 
changes in U.S development policies may be necessary to insure 
economic growth with equity at the local level.  The article was 
published in World Development, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 587-608, 1992, 
and is also available through Polly Hoppin, WWF, 1250 24th Street 
NW, Suite 400,  Washington, DC 20037-1175.

FACTSHEET ON AGRICULTURE AND THE WORLD BANK

	"Food for Thought:  Agriculture and the World Bank,"
a 2-page Environment/Factsheet that describes the impact of
past lending policies on agriculture, and suggests alternative 
approaches to be used when designing agricultural projects in the 
future.  The Factsheet is part of a series produced for the World 
Bank/IMF 50 Years is Enough US Campaign.  Others include "Water 
& the World Bank," "A Clear Cut Above" (Forestry) and "A Matter 
of Power: Energy and the World Bank." 

	Contact WSAA Washington or the Campaign, 1025 Vermont 
Avenue, NW, Ste 300,Washington, D.C. 20005.

FOCUS ON RESEARCH

WORKING WITH NATURE IN MEXICO

	There is a growing tendency among some of Mexico's farmers 
to "go natural."   This trend is resulting in a lowered dependence on 
chemical fertilizers and pesticides, while increasing farmers' 
knowledge and capacity to effectively grow crops and conserve and 
enrich their soil.  The Fundacion-Centro Internacional de 
Investigacion y Desarrollo de la Agricultura Natural, in a project 
promoted by WSAA, is one organization experimenting with, and 
adapting, methodologies promoted by the proponents of Natural 
Agriculture.  

	Using a forest floor as an example of how a thin layer of rich 
soil, through a constant recycling of nutrients, can support large 
amounts of luxuriant growth, the group became convinced of the 
benefits of the natural recycling processes of nature.  And they have 
begun to incorporate these processes into their agricultural activities.
Adding mulch and compost is a relatively easy way to provide many 
benefits to the soil.  It protects the soil surface from wind and water 
erosion, and helps maintain soil humidity.  Decomposed material 
adds organic matter to the soil providing nutrients for plants and 
stimulating the growth of beneficial microorganisms.   It also reduces 
temperature fluctuations in the soil, deters weed growth, and makes 
the soil porous, promoting good drainage and root growth.  Crop 
rotation schemes are a traditonal way of maintaining soil fertility as 
well as reducing crop and soil pests, and are an important component 
of the Natural Agriculture methods being used.  

	Crop selections should include varieties producing large 
amounts of organic matter that can be easily incorporated into the 
soil to improve its physical properties.   The use of green manures is 
an effective way of increasing nitrogen and potassium levels on lands 
that are too large to viably utilize compost.  These cultivars, such as 
tropical legumes, peas, clover, alfalfa, etc., should be included in the 
crop rotation scheme.  The roots of these plants normally grow much 
deeper that typical crops, contributing to the physical improvement 
of the soil.  Care must be taken, however, to properly incorporate 
these materials into the soil to insure decomposition and eliminate 
competition with the next crop.

	The control of diseases, insects and weeds by the Nature 
Farming method should be done with products or activities that do 
not contaminate or degrade the natural environment of the soil.  To 
this end, the group is experimenting with physical and cultural 
methods to minimize their crop losses.  These methods include: 
incorporating only decomposed organic matter into the soil to avoid 
the production of organic acids and ammonia that can damage plant 
roots;  coordinating planting activities to coincide with times of least 
pest risk; incorporating plants that have a symbiotic effect in 
repelling plant pests; using pathogen free seeds; promoting or 
introducing natural pest enemies; the use of color and light traps to 
capture insects; and nets to keep insects off crops.  They are also 
experimenting with a variety of liquid repellants and attractants 
made from extracts of local plants combined with vinegar, alcohol 
and fermented sugar byproducts, and with pheromones.

Eds. Note:  This edited translation by Mark Ellis of "Fundamentos de 
las Practicas Agricolas de la Agricultura Natural" is based on the 
work of the Fundacion-Centro Internacional de Investigacion y 
Desarrollo de la Agricultura Natural.  The farm manager of the 
project described, located about 2 hours from Mexico City, is Mr. 
Jesus Araneo Torres.  For further information, contact WSAA/MOA 
Mexico at San Francisco 326-101, Col. del Valle, CP 03100 Mexico DF; 
Tel: (525) 682-6695; or (525) 669-0444.