Date: Thu, 09 Mar 2000 19:08:14 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Lyndon Hawkins <hawkins@empm.cdpr.ca.gov>
Senior Research
Scientist
State of California,
Department of Pesticide Regulation
Integrated Pest
Management
Lyndon, I thought you might like to read an article entitled: INTERVIEW-Europe sees potential in organic foods.
TOKYO, March 9 (Reuters) - Europeans see growth potential not in genetically modified organisms (GMO) but in organic food because consumers want products grown with a care for the environment, a senior farm official said.
In recent years, European consumers have become more concerned not only about the food they eat but how it has been produced, said Michael Gowen, principal administrator for International Agricultural Relations of the European Commission. ``With the growth of what we call a green movement in Europe over the past 20 years, there has been an increasing concern that we are causing unnecessary harm to our environment,'' Gowen told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.
``The move to organic food is part of this move towards having a lifestyle that is in harmony with the environment and that does not destroy the traditions which we have inherited,'' he said.
Organic food is more expensive than conventional food because producers cannot use pesticides and artificial fertilizers, he said. Use of gene modification technology and irradiation procedures are also banned.
``But many European consumers, and in increasing numbers, are prepared to pay an additional premium to guarantee they have a food of the purest and healthiest quality,'' he said.
Gowen said the percentage organic food represents in total food production in Europe was still small but growing rapidly.
``We have 100,000 farmers and food processors who are producing organic foods in Europe. We have 2.5 million hectares under organic cultivation, and this figure is growing all the time as the demand for organic food increases,'' he said.
Gowen was in Tokyo to promote European organic foods at the international food exhibition this week where more than 2,300 companies from 67 countries participated.
Gowen said organic foods are becoming popular among Japanese consumers as well with products such as organic wine, cheese, chocolates and olive oil now available on the local market.
CAUTION ABOUT GMO
Gowen said the European Union does not agree with the U.S. view that consumers should accept foods derived from gene modification technology on the grounds no scientific evidence exists that GMOs are harmful to human health.
``Our view is that science is just not sufficient yet to reach a firm conclusion. We don't have enough long-term evidence, so we should proceed extremely cautiously,'' he said.
Farmers, especially in the United States, are keen to increase output of GMOs because of the higher yields and low production for the crops, into which genes are inserted to boost resistance to herbicide and to pests.
Consumers are anxious about possible health side-effects and the impact on the environment from such manipulation.
``Technology in agriculture has advanced enormously over the past 30 years. But we are now saying let's be careful how far we go,'' Gowen said.
``Let's take a step back and look at what they are doing to the environment. Let's look at the quality as well as the quantity,'' he said.
Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters Limited content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters Limited. Reuters Limited shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
Well Lyndon, I remember when the advertisements for (the cancer causing chemical) chlordane said that "registered" POISON was so safe that the applicators had no need to wear gloves or a respirator. (I beLIEved the ads - and I almost died - some of my relatives did die.) I also remember a time when the "regulators" I talked to, said they would feel "safer" if every previously termite "treated" home were "retreated" with the maximum labeled rate of chlordane every time it was sold even though there was no visual evidence of reinfestation. When I refused to do so, I was indicted for not using "enough" chlordane.
Today that "registered" POISON is no longer being sold, but, it still is being used. No sane person would call that POISON "safe" today, but, as you well know "some regulators" and/or POISON producers are now calling all the other POISONS "safe". Some of these same voices are trying to say organic food is more dangerous than your contaminated products. Or, "they" say there is no "sound science" to prove their newest POISON is not "safe". Lyndon, I can show you the bodies of some of the victims that trusted the wrong people.
When will it be "legal" (in your opinion) to use safe and effective (unregistered) alternatives to actually control pest problems in California and to once again come into harmony with the environment? Or, do we wait for more innocent victims to prove that once again, "someone" has trusted the wrong people - and that there are no "safe" POISONS?
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
Please!
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