Ditch the Diet Coke, the facts are out

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True Independence Needed For NZFSA Aspartame Review.

The Soil & Health Association of NZ is impressed with the Phoenix Organics ‘Think Before You Drink’ anti-aspartame campaign and their bringing into the public arena the shonky science and politics behind the approval of the artificial sweetener.

“Having 20,000 bottles of Phoenix Organic Cola with labels highlighting concerns with aspartame, is a great counter to Coca-Cola’s ‘Make Every Drop Matter’ pro-aspartame campaign,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“Soil & Health wants Diet Coke out of all schools in 2008 as a step towards withdrawing aspartame out of all New Zealand food and drinks, and the certified organic Phoenix drinks show there are wholesome alternatives.”

“Phoenix and Soil & Health share a concern that the decisions of New Zealand food safety authorities accept outcomes from apparent corrupt international scientific and political processes. Aspartame was introduced to the world’s food supply in 1983 after corrupt US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) processes.”

“The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) continues to claim that aspartame is one of the most studied substances in the world, yet conveniently brushes aside the fact that while all industry-funded studies do not show a problem, the overwhelming majority of independent studies do.”

“Of 166 studies felt to have relevance for questions of human safety, 74 had Nutrasweet (an aspartame brand) industry-related funding and 92 were independently funded. One hundred percent of the industry funded research attested to aspartame’s safety, whereas nearly all of the independently funded research identified problems.”

“Soil & Health is also concerned that the current Government review of NZFSA decision-making processes, including decisions around A2 milk and aspartame, will not be as independent as proposed.”

The review is using the services of international expert Dr Stuart Slorach because of his experience in risk management as Chair of the Management Board of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) during its critical establishment phase, and as Chair of the international food standards setting agency, the Codex Alimentarius.

“However EFSA has often slavishly followed the mantra of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is highly influenced by giant food industry interests, and the Codex approach is based more on trade and economics than genuine consumer protection. Dr Slorach is more likely to give a tick of approval to NZFSA’s aspartame decision-making, considering EFSA’s approach so far,” said Mr Browning.

“Ditching Diet Coke, enjoying organic juices and getting genuine independent research will be great Christmas presents for New Zealand consumers.”

Soil & Health advocates natural sweeteners, following its motto: Healthy Soil, Healthy Food and Healthy People.

Notes:

* Aspartame (951, Equal, Nutrasweet) is an artificial sweetener found in over 6000 products including diet drinks, sugar free products, dietary supplements, sports drinks and medications.
* Aspartame has been linked to many health symptoms, including those expressed as ADHD, anxiety, depression, irritability, confusion, memory loss, insomnia, dizziness, migraines, cramps, abdominal pain, numbness or tingling of extremities, rashes, chronic fatigue, and sight and personality changes.

NZFSA A2 spin just tip of iceberg

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The Soil & Health Association of NZ wants to see dramatic changes to New Zealand Food Safety Authority’s (NZFSA) focus, following the further evidence of its communications spin supporting large food industry interests.

NZFSA was found to have manipulated the release of Professor Boyd Swinburn’s report querying A1/A2 milk safety and spun it saying that ‘there was no evidence of a food safety issue.’

“Soil & Health is also concerned about the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), because of their business-based economic priorities when making risk analysis decisions,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“Their risk management systems feel rotten when decision after decision is stacked in the interest of short-term economic imperatives, and community and environmental health is placed behind business.”

“Evidence showing that NZFSA manipulated scientific opinion surrounding the possible health implications of New Zealand’s dominant milk supply comes as no surprise to Soil & Health.”

“It appears Treasury, followed by Ministerial directives to NZFSA, is thwarting a precautionary approach to food safety, and with a change of policy directive NZFSA could instead rapidly focus on the best health interests of the community.”

“Soil & Health has campaigned vigorously on issues of food safety and toxins, including pesticide residues and food additives, to NZFSA, FSANZ and ERMA, and has found that responses are the same as those generated by big business. The level of PR spin is inappropriate from agencies mandated to protect the community and environment.”

“The media spin around sugar replacement Aspartame (phenylalanine, 965, NutraSweet, Equal) is a prime example of NZFSA and FSANZ supporting companies such as:- Coca Cola and Wrigley, rather than addressing the genuine health concerns of New Zealanders. The media material used by NZFSA matches that of the manufacturers of this neurotoxic, carcinogenic food additive.”

“The Coca Cola Company and Ajinomoto, an aspartame manufacturer, are in turn using NZFSA’s industry-led spin as a recommendation in glossy public advertising. Coca Cola’s full page advertisement ‘It’s Time To Air Some Truth About Sweeteners’ in a paper’s liftout last weekend, uses both NZFSA and FSANZ positions to announce ‘Low-kilojoule sweeteners are safe.’

“This is self-perpetuating spin and it is time for NZFSA to break the cycle,” said Mr Browning.

“The current attempt by NZFSA to exempt genetically modified microbes from having maximum residue limits in food is another risky move that has no benefit for anyone except companies like Monsanto. The mooted increase in some acceptable pesticide levels in food is also about big producer convenience and adds nothing to the health of New Zealanders.”

“ERMA’s reassessment of most chemicals also has an outcome that is very predictable. Unless banned or extremely restricted by our trading partners, reassessment decisions offer no real interruption to the status quo, meaning ongoing heavy use of toxins in our environment and food chain. Recent examples are Hydrogen Cyanimide (Hi-Cane) as used in the kiwifruit industry, where safe management alternatives submitted by Soil & Health were ignored, and the 1080 decision, which gave no real incentives for alternatives.”

“ERMA’s decisions supporting field trials of genetically engineered crops also favour its friends in crown research institutes and business, and lack genuine consideration of community concerns. ERMA’s touted independence of government and business is a sham when its decisions are examined.”

“Soil & Health calls for the urgent implementation of a precautionary approach that puts health and the environment well out in front of economic imperatives,” said Mr Browning.

Soil & Health has a motto of Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy People, and promotes a diet free from synthetic additives.

Urgent need for Methyl Bromide moratorium

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The Soil & Health Association of NZ is calling for an urgent moratorium on methyl bromide gas fumigation in New Zealand, following TV3’s 60 Minutes feature on the health risks of the gas at Picton and Port Nelson. Both ports use methyl bromide for fumigation of export timber, sawn timber at Nelson and logs at Picton’s Shakespeare Bay.

Canterbury University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Shaw, an international motor neurone disease expert who spoke on the 60 Minutes programme, has said that statistically it appeared the Port Nelson motor neurone disease rate was 25 times the international average. Six port workers have died from the disease, which causes progressive muscular atrophy. Professor Shaw also recommended a moratorium on methyl bromide use, while the possible link between the fumigant’s use and motor neurone disease at Port Nelson was investigated.

Soil & Health also wants a compliance audit of fumigation company Genera, an immediate start to an ERMA reassessment of methyl bromide, and for all local authorities to require resource consents for fumigation discharges.

“We are calling for an urgent compliance audit of Genera, following the 60 Minutes programme’s revelations of inadequate fumigator training, and following Soil & Health’s investigation of Genera’s Port Nelson methyl bromide monitoring records,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“Genera has not adequately completed fumigation monitoring sheets and has incorrectly recorded fumigation times, weather conditions and dates, on the records I obtained through Port Nelson. This shows that Genera will not have met basic safety and monitoring requirements set by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA),” said Browning.

Soil & Health submitted to ERMA in January to have the deadly neurotoxic gas as number 3 to be rapidly reassessed by the Authority. ERMA included methyl bromide in the unordered priority list of 20 for Chief Executive initiated reassessments over 5 years.

“On the basis of Genera’s poor compliance and obvious statistical links of methyl bromide with motor neurone disease, Soil & Health now wants the Chief Executive to immediately begin reassessment of the neurotoxic gas’s future conditions of use.”

Both Marlborough District Council and Nelson City Council, either owners or shareholders in their respective ports, are currently allowing methyl bromide fumigation gas to be discharged into the local environment without resource consent. Port Marlborough has diverted one log shipment while the issue was further considered, and is due to resume at least limited fumigation shortly. This has called into question whether the diversion was to suit local body election timing, an allegation that Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman has refuted.

“A moratorium on further large-scale release of methyl bromide gas to the environment would allow risk-free consideration of health implications. It would also encourage fast adaption to alternatives such as installation of capture technology, which uses charcoal to absorb the gas ahead of either recycling or destruction,” said Mr Browning.

“Government departments and health authorities have failed to address the risks posed to the communities affected and Soil & Health will continue to advocate for urgent change. An Organic 2020 as advocated by Soil & Health will protect community and environmental health while supporting the clean green New Zealand market image.”

Sustainable wine growing is not clean or green enough

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The Soil & Health Association is concerned that key wine industry figures are fudging the reality of herbicide use and environmental protection in Marlborough. Soil & Health recommends faster moves to organic production.

Last week Soil & Health had suggested Marlborough’s Wairau Valley was being made a ‘Herbicide Valley’ because they had identified close to 70% of Marlborough vineyard land was currently herbicide sprayed to assist in frost protection.

“In reaction to Soil & Health’s claim, both New Zealand Winegrower’s Chair Stuart Smith, and Chief Executive Officer Philip Gregan, seriously downplayed the facts,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning. “The community deserves better.”

“It is about time New Zealand Winegrowers did some survey work, starting in the Brancott area, where the sprayed vineyard ground area appears to be up to 85% herbicide sprayed, although most areas are more typical of Soil & Health’s 70% claim.”

“Mr Gregan claimed last week that herbicide spraying throughout vineyards – for frost protection where bare earth radiated heat better – ‘was now extremely uncommon’. This is clearly not the case in Marlborough where many examples of blanket herbicide spraying are evident. Some of the 100% herbicide sprayed vineyards are displaying the Sustainable Wine Growing (SWG) notice although some Sustainable Wine Growing vineyards do not display the notice. Some vineyards were tilled but had been blanket herbicide sprayed ahead of that cultivation.”

Winegrowers NZ is the parent body of Sustainable Wine Growing, which was developed to provide a voluntary “best practice” model of environmental practices in the wine industry.

NZ Winegrowers chairman Stuart Smith said last week, “Whether it is 10% or 70%, the point of sustainable winegrowing is to make it sustainable so the land is left the same or better for the future. We are achieving that.”

“Soil & Health acknowledges that SWG is evolving, but permanent year round undervine spray strips and increased herbicide use in spring does not bode well now or for the future,” said Mr Browning. “Degraded soil biology and herbicide contamination and leaching do not equal the same or better, and urgent improvement is needed.”

“Sustainable Wine Growing has successfully encouraged significant change in some management practices, but fails to actually meet true environmental sustainability measures or compliance. Hopefully the next independent audit of Sustainable Wine Growers will show that more accurate spray records have been kept than those of the last published audit. It showed about a 50% discrepancy between grape growers SWG score sheets and their herbicide spray diaries. The grape industry leaders measure of current herbicide use seems to follow this discrepency.”

“Soil & Health is supportive of genuine sustainability measures and is hopeful that successful organic methods of production, which do not use herbicides, will be quickly taken up by the wine industry. Neither short or long term effects of herbicides and other sprays should be passed on to the community and environment.”

“Canopy spraying can also be managed in a way that prevents spraydrift. Enclosed spray units using shrouds or skirts that capture and collect unused spray, rather than allowing it to become airborne, should be used in areas subject to spray drift.”

“When combined with non herbicide based weed and frost control management, such technology can have Marlborough and the other grape growing regions of New Zealand meeting community health needs and the international expectations of a clean green land.”

“When comparing aesthetics, soil health, and worker and community safety, the differences between herbicide valley properties and those that use organic methods are obvious,” said Mr Browning.

Marlborough vineyard herbicide use now touching 70% soil coverage

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The Soil & Health Association is calling for Sustainable Wine Growing to lift its game, as close to 70% of Marlborough’s grape growing area is currently herbicide sprayed,” said spokesperson Steffan Browning.

“No wonder the industry changed its marketing strategy away from ‘The Riches Of a Clean Green Land.’”

“With excellent organic management alternatives now in use, it would have been better to aspire to giving credibility to ‘the riches of a clean green land,’ rather than putting the health of the community and the reputation of New Zealand at risk.”

A recent $100,000 rebranding with the “Pure Discovery” tagline was launched to replace a 15-year-old generic brand line ‘The Riches Of a Clean Green Land.’

“Pure Discovery may soon be about the aquifers and health of communities near the vineyards of New Zealand as the herbicide active ingredients, metabolites and surfactants leach and drift,” said Browning.

“While some vineyards are using organic management techniques and others a permanent 30% land area under-vine spray strip, the current practice of complete herbicide burning every second path as well as the under-vine strips, or frequently 100% of the surface area, to assist in frost protection, is making Marlborough’s Wairau Valley, a Herbicide Valley with an estimated 70% of vineyards sprayed with herbicide.”

While many operators say that it is ‘just Roundup or glyphosphate’, Monsanto agreed 10 years ago to discontinue the use of terms such as “biodegradable” and “environmentally friendly” in all advertising of glyphosate-containing products in New York state and to pay $50,000 toward the state’s costs of pursuing the case.

“According to the state, Monsanto advertisements had also implied that the risks of products such as Roundup are the same as those of the active ingredient, glyphosate, and did not take into account the possible risks associated with the product’s other ingredients.”

“Some surfactants and glyphosphate break down products, and also Amitrole another widely used herbicide, are known carcinogens or endocrine disruptors,” said Browning.

“Denmark has restrictions on glyphosphate to prevent groundwater contamination and local authorities there are being proactive to encourage more sustainable management.”

“The economic convenience of harmful herbicides and pesticides is creating areas such as Hawkes Bay and Marlborough as potential health risks, and anecdotal evidence points to increasing levels of cancers in both areas,” said Browning. “Endocrine disruptors are also involved with the sprays and in Marlborough the main population areas of Blenheim, Renwick and Seddon are surrounded or downwind of the spray zone.”

“The spraydrift problem extends nationwide with a slow uptake of available technology that can restrict spray drift and can recapture and recycle unused airborne sprays. This however does not address the blanket herbicide spraying of land.”

“Organic options, like green crop cultivation, mulching, compost application and the use of effective micro-organisms, not only reduce frost damage, but also improve soil health and take carbon dioxide out of the air to be stored as soil carbon.”

“Herbicide use is proven to reduce vine health through protein disruption, and because beneficial soil and plant organisms are killed, there is an increased susceptibility to pest and disease,” said Nicole Masters of biological soil consultants, EcoAgriLogic. “Herbicides also reduce grape storage life, and natural flavours can also be expected to be rounder without their use.”

“Clean alternatives to massive herbicide and pesticide use must be implemented in keeping with Brand New Zealand’s clean green 100% Pure image, and Soil & Health’s vision of an Organic 2020,” said Browning.

Animal Welfare Spin is Cruel Talk

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Federated Farmers President Charlie Pederson’s spin on caged animal welfare is cruel talk, when there are far more humane options available according to Soil & Health.

Mr Pederson was commenting on battery farming of poultry and pigs on TV3’s The Killing Fields 60 Minutes program last night.

“For Mr Pederson to repeat that the animals were likely to be safer and in better conditions than free range alternatives is a case of outright denial of the obvious”, said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning, ‘Mr Pederson should not be the apologist for those farmers that choose to continue barbaric methods of production.”

Caged and extremely stressed pigs were shown along with footage of battery chickens dead and alive, and also of dead and impoverished cows from the recent successful prosecution of a dairy farm manager.

“Federated Farmers have plenty of members that are very humane in their animal management and any attempt to defend the level of greed based cruelty shown by 60 Minutes would be better left to those directly responsible.”

“Mr Pederson would be better showing the good examples of organic farming where intensification is limited and pigs and poultry have an opportunity to express some natural behaviour, see the light of day and know what it is like to walk normally,” said Mr Browning.

BioGro Production Standards for example state that poultry must have unrestricted access to outside runs, which must provide access to fresh grass or a forage crop containing a diversity of species.

The BioGro Standards also prohibit factory farming or intensive livestock farming in enclosures with no pastoral access. Herd animals must not be kept individually.

“The real issues of intensification and animal welfare need facing up to and addressing,” said Mr Browning, “and while maintaining a good livelihood, organic producers and most of their neighbours are able to treat their livestock with far more respect than those on the 60 Minutes program.”

Soil & Health appreciates 60 Minutes Rod Vaughn, author Jeffery Mason and zoologist Dr Michael Morris for giving some insight into New Zealand factory farming.

NZFSA used in aspartame propaganda

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“NZFSA is itself becoming part of the theoretical evidence.”

“The Soil & Health Association is appalled that Japanese aspartame manufacturer Ajinomoto is using statements by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) in promotional material that supports poor research to medical professionals,” said spokesperson Steffan Browning. (a)

“In contrast, Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) the peer-reviewed journal of the United States’ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has just highlighted the Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences cancer findings that NZFSA and Ajinomoto seek to discredit.” (b)

In ‘The Health Care Professionals Site’ on Ajinomoto’s website, subtitled ‘A resource for you and your patients for facts on aspartame.’, is the headline ‘The latest news on aspartame, New Zealand Food Safety Authority Confirms Safety of Aspartame’ followed by ‘Statement Adds to Large Body of Research Supporting Sweetener’s Use’. A further spin on a NZFSA July 5 Press Release then follows.

NZFSA’s Deputy Chief Executive had been careful in her denigrating of the important Ramazzini research by saying that the results “are not consistent with the findings of a large number of studies over many years which have been evaluated by leading food safety agencies around the world.”

However the Ajinomoto site NZFSA article says the Ramazzini Foundation ‘made false claims about the safety of aspartame.

In contrast when considering the EHP publication, the prestigious independent Ramazzini Foundation said a week ago, ”the results of this second long-term carcinogenicity bioassay not only confirm but also reinforce our first experimental demonstration of Aspartame’s multipotential carcinogenicity at a dose level close to the human ADI. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that when life-span exposure to APM begins during fetal life, its carcinogenic effects are increased.”

“Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is the peer-reviewed journal of the United States’ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. With an impact factor of 5.86, EHP ranks first among 132 environmental sciences journals and first among 90 public, environmental, and occupational health journals. EHP is read in over 190 countries.”

“The further spin of NZFSA’s misleading statements by aspartame manufacturer Ajinomoto to, ‘adds to large body of research,’ and ‘NZFSA Confirms Safety….’

show how NZFSA’s own July 5 statement including, ‘there is an extensive body of evidence that tells us it is a safe product,’ is self perpetuating nonsense when it relies on industry led pap itself,” said Browning. “NZFSA is itself becoming part of its own theoretical evidence.”

“NZFSA continues to claim that aspartame is one of the most studied substances in the world, yet conveniently brushes aside the fact that while all industry-funded studies do not show a problem, the overwhelming majority of independent studies do.”

“Of 166 studies felt to have relevance for questions of human safety, 74 had Nutrasweet (an aspartame brand) industry related funding and 92 were independently funded. One hundred percent of the industry funded research attested to aspartame’s safety, whereas 92% of the independently funded research identified a problem.”

“In fact in July the NZFSA was again supporting the manufacturers of the toxic sweetener by trying to dumb down the important independent research at the same time as Wellingtonian Abby Cormack’s well publicised poisoning with aspartame from sugar free chewing gum.”

“Following publicity of her case and the Soil & Health supported tour with American anti-aspartame lobbyist Betty Martini, Abby Cormack has been collecting case studies of other New Zealanders who have made remarkable recoveries from debilitating conditions since stopping aspartame use. Yet NZFSA remains in denial for the sake of industry.”

“NZFSA goes further and suggests that aspartame is better for the health of the obese, which again is a fallacy. It is time that NZFSA and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) stopped relying on industry led science or those other international agencies following the same course, look at the independent science and put New Zealanders health first. There are effective safer natural products such as stevia.”

“Soil & Health maintains its call for immediate removal of aspartame from schools as is happening in other parts of the world where the harm of aspartame is recognised,” said Browning, “Urgent warning labelling for pregnant women and children could also precede the sweeteners total market recall.”

“Soil & Health has a motto of Healthy Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy People, and promotes a diet free from synthetic additives.”

ENDS

Notes:

Aspartame (951, Equal, Nutrasweet) is an artificial sweetener found in over 6000 products including diet drinks, sugar free products, dietary supplements, sports drinks and medications.

Aspartame has been linked to many health symptoms, including those expressed as ADHD, anxiety, depression, irritability, confusion, memory loss, insomnia, dizziness, migraines, cramps, abdominal pain, numbness or tingling of extremities, rashes, chronic fatigue, and sight and personality changes.

(a) www.aboutaspartame.com/professional/index.asp
(b) www.ramazzini.it/fondazione/newsDetail.asp?id=18

Picton’s toxic gas use needs complete ban

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Cancellation by Port Marlborough of an export log shipment from Picton that was due to be fumigated with toxic methyl bromide comes as good news for the Soil & Health Association.

Soil & Health spokesperson, Steffan Browning, who raised the methyl bromide issue in Picton in March, and has been campaigning since to have the fumigation discontinued or have the toxic ozone depleting gas recovered rather than released into the atmosphere, is concerned however that the language used by the Port Company and also Marlborough’s Mayor Alistair Sowman, does not suggest that release of toxic gases will never occur again.

“The political hot potato is just being taken off the boil during the local body election process, but is still on simmer until it is banned altogether.”

The highly toxic methyl bromide gas from export log fumigation has previously been vented from Port Marlborough’s Shakespeare Bay facility, close to Picton’s wharves and township, without a resource consent or adequate monitoring.

“Unusually, the Marlborough District Council resource management plans appear to not require a resource consent for the discharge to the environment of the toxic fumigant,” said Browning.

“Last week’s Picton public meeting, organised by Peter Beech of local environmental group Guardians of the Sounds and supported by Soil & Health, showed the Marlborough District Council and the Council owned Port Company that the community’s level of tolerance to local toxic fumigation was at an end.”

“Soil & Health and Guardians of the Sounds will persist in getting release of methyl bromide and its similarly toxic alternative, phosphine gas, permanently stopped in Picton.”

“Soil & Health is determined that other sites will follow, and that the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) also urgently reassesses methyl bromide’s use, as this ozone depleting neurotoxin should not be released anywhere, let alone near communities throughout New Zealand.”

“The log exporters concern about economic impact must be a very big second to the health risks posed to the community and the damage to the ozone layer, particularly relevant to Marlborough which has New Zealand’s highest level of melanoma.”

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is an odourless, colourless gas, used as a pre-shipment (QPS) fumigant pesticide that kills all pests and is extremely toxic to humans.

Human exposure to methyl bromide has potentially serious acute impacts on the central nervous system and internal organs that can be fatal, with chronic exposure associated with a range of neurological effects.

Methyl bromide use is limited internationally due to health risks and its serious ozone depleting properties.

“A public statement is now needed from the Port Company and Mayor, that release of fumigants into the atmosphere at Picton will stop permanently,” said Browning

“Clean alternatives to toxic or ozone depleting gases must be implemented in keeping with Brand New Zealand’s Clean Green 100% Pure image, and Soil & Health’s vision of an Organic 2020.”

Landcorp behind the times on organics

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“While the Indian state of Kerala is moving to organics to correct its sustainability problems, it seems that Landcorp doesn’t understand sustainability and is looking for excuses to avoid lifting its game.”

A State Owned Enterprise, Landcorp Farming Limited is New Zealand’s largest agricultural enterprise running 1.5 million stock units – sheep, beef and dairy cattle, deer and goats – on 110 farming units totalling 383,033 hectares.

Landcorp’s Chris Kelly stated on National Radio’s Rural Report recently that organics finds the use of nicotine, arsenic and copper remedies acceptable, and that market premiums do not justify switching to organics. (Transcript below)

“Mr Kelly’s assertions appear to be taken directly from old agribusiness propaganda that is used to promote unsustainable chemical pesticide and fertiliser manufacturing and use. While chemical pesticide and feriliser use is hugely profitable to the agrichemical manufacturers, it is often harmful to environmental and community health. It is unfortunate that Landcorp swallows such misinformation,” said Mr Browning.

“Nicotine and arsenic remedies have never been accepted by organic certifiers. In the case of copper, certifiers like BioGro and Organic Farm NZ, are very careful about its use.”

“Copper is restricted to a few less aggressive formulations, with growers not permitted to use in excess of 3kg per hectare, and management plans showing a move to alternatives. Conventional agriculture doesn’t have such limits. Arsenic, contrary to Mr Kelly’s statement, is not allowed and is even being phased out of posts, with BioGro growers now moving to alternatives. Landcorp, instead of being misleading, would do well to do the same.”

“We also know that Landcorp was offered a 20% price premium by Fonterra, but to dodge moving to more sustainable organic dairy production said they needed 25%.”

“It is time for Landcorp to lift its game, lead by example and dump its archaic chemical regime of excess fertilisers, pesticides and soil degrading nitrification inhibitors, and instead move to soil building, carbon sequestering, animal-friendly, genuinely sustainable organic farming techniques.”

Due to soil depletion through ‘chemical farming’ the Indian state of Kerala is to begin moving its districts into ‘Organic Farming Zones’, in a bid to save the state from the entry of genetically
modified crops and the further use of chemical pesticides. (URL below).

Kerala State Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran, has said, “Irrespective of party affiliations, all the Assembly members will stand united on the decision to finalise Kerala’s organic farming policy.” Other southern Indian states are also developing organic policies in response to organic success and serious sustainability issues from conventional and GE cropping.

“Soil & Health has a vision of an Organic 2020. Such a vision is already being grasped internationally as sustainability issues mount, and for New Zealand’s competitive clean green market reputation and advantage to be maintained, it is timely for Landcorp to show the sustainable organic way here,” said Mr Browning.

ENDS

Notes:

Transcript of Landcorp’s Chris Kelly’s National Radio comment.

“We have been approached by a number of players including Fonterra, to provide organic milk, and the fact is that it is just not justifiable to turn large parts of our properties organic, they can’t get the market premiums out of the market that justify switching to organics. The second point I’d make is around the environmental issues, in my view it is not right to necessarily say that organics are more economically sustainable and friendly than normal farming. An example I’ll give is many of the pesticides and drugs we use are very stringently tested for things like residues and others. Whereas, through organics, it is acceptable to use pretty nasty products such as nicotine, arsenic, and copper, which are very old remedies, and can be much more toxic than the more current remedies we use at present. So, on those grounds, I’m not convinced that organics is necessarily the way to go for us.”
Chris Kelly

Karela State Organic Policies

Clopyralid, a great start to ridding supermarkets of agrichemicals

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Following a reassessment process, the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) announced yesterday that weedkillers containing the herbicide clopyralid will be taken off the retail market from 19 August 2008.

“Chemicals that require commercial operators to be trained in handling and use should not be available for retail sale where purchasers may have no experience or training,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning. “The urban home environment where most children live should be a toxin-free environment.”

Although better known in organic circles as compost killer, clopyralid is used in lawn sprays to maintain weed free lawns. Clopyralid residues do not break down in composting, and tiny amounts of contaminated lawn clippings could downgrade municipal composts, potentially damaging sensitive crops such as potatoes and tomatoes.

Chlopyralid is sold as: No Lawn Weeds, Clover and Prickle; Clopyd 300; Void; Tango; Vivendi 300; Multiple; Contest; Pirate 300; Cardo; Versatill Herbicide; Archer; AGPRO; Cloralid 300; Radiate; and Clout. Soil & Health recommends retail customers carefully look at labels to ensure that this chemical nuisance is removed as soon as possible.

Soil & Health has long lobbied for the removal of clopyralid because it limits the availability of municipal compost for organic vegetable growers, and the Association congratulates the eventual application to ERMA by commercial composter Living Earth, through the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, to have clopyralid taken off the market.

“ERMA’s continued allowance of clopyralid for agricultural weed control and commercial turf management use, means however, that there will still be composting piles of contractors’ grass clippings that are useless for growing vegetables,” said Browning, “Clopyralid requires UV sunlight to breakdown effectively and no matter how hot the depths of a compost heap, clopyralid persists.”

“Unfortunately ERMA hasn’t recognised that commercial and park operators were the original problem when contamination was first noticed in the United States about 20 years ago. Grass collected by contractors is still going into a heap somewhere. The still permitted use as an agricultural herbicide is also unnecessary as there are non-clopyralid options.”

“While the retail withdrawal is a very good move, ERMA needs to be taking bolder steps, by totally removing the risks associated with clopyralid for municipal composters and organic growers alike.”

Depending on the clopyralid product, labels will include, “The substance is not to be used on turf.” and “Treated vegetation shall not be disposed of at any green waste recycling centre.” “Ecotoxic herbicide. Not for use in home gardens.” “ Do not use for treating turf that will be mown and the clippings used for making compost; or made available for collection for, or deposited at, a municipal green waste recycling depot.”

Soil & Health however is concerned that ‘cowboys’ will still contaminate the compost and subsequent food chain. Regardless of warning notices, contamination has been a consistent feature for decades,” said Browning. “I have experienced it my previous glasshouse production several times and yet the composters were being assured by contractors that their material was ‘clean’.”

Soil & Health is also concerned that ERMA’s statement downgraded the very real experience of growers and composters when it stated, “The Agency considers that much of the information presented by the applicant on the effects of clopyralid contamination in compost only amounts to anecdotal evidence. This is because the methods used for the studies were not given or the methodologies used had significant shortcomings.”

“ERMA is rather narrow in its view around ‘expert evidence’, and fails to fully appreciate the experience of growers and composters. Chemical industry statistical science does not make anecdotal evidence any less valid. Precaution should not favour economics.”

Soil & Health has an Organic 2020 target for New Zealand where persistent chemicals such as clopyralid will not cause economic and health risks, and the environment and community health will always come first.