No Chemical Pesticides by 2003
Subject: No Chemical Pesticides by 2003
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 14:34:45 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (http://www.getipm.com/)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
Dear Mr. Helliker, I thought you might like to read an article from The Toronto Star dated: Mar. 12, 2002 entitled: No chemical pesticides by 2003 by Dana Flavelle - business reporter.
Canada's largest grocery store chain says its garden centres will be chemical pesticide free by 2003, a move hailed by environmentalists as a first step in the right direction.
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. was to make the announcement today at Canada Blooms: The Toronto Garden and Flower Show, which opens to the public tomorrow at the Metro Convention Centre.
The supermarket chain, which operates 440 garden centres across the country, said it plans to eliminate chemical-based pesticide products from its store shelves by next year and replace them with environmentally friendly, organic alternatives.
"We believe this is the right thing to do. It's the right strategy for consumers and for the environment," said Loblaw spokesperson Geoff Wilson.
The decision comes amid growing pressure from municipalities to ban the use of chemical pesticides on public and private property.
In a landmark decision last year, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the right of the town of Hudson, Que., to pass a bylaw banning the use of pesticides for strictly cosmetic, as opposed to agricultural, purposes.
Two lawn-care firms lost the legal battle to continue spraying chemical pesticides in Hudson.
Since then, dozens of other municipalities, including the City of Toronto, have begun considering whether to follow Hudson's example. Toronto and Mississauga have already virtually eliminated chemical use on public lawns and gardens. But Hudson's ban extended to private property.
Environmentalists welcomed the pre-emptive strike by Loblaw, saying that its sheer market dominance will force suppliers and competitors to follow suit.
"This is an absolutely marvellous boost for the entire industry to move toward pesticide reduction and elimination," said Julia Langer, head of the World Wildlife Federation.
Loblaw said its chemical-free policy doesn't extend to growers who supply its garden centres with plants. "If a grower uses pesticides on their plants, we're not saying you have to go organic," Wilson said.
Such a policy would be too difficult to enforce at this time, the company said. The agricultural community, which accounts for 70 per cent of all chemical pesticide use, is still struggling with the issue of chemical dependence, the company said.
Loblaws garden centres were already stocking a higher-than-average percentage of organic pesticides, the supermarket chain said. By this summer, 50 per cent of its pesticide products will be based on environmentally friendly alternatives.
The stores will also be providing extensive consumer advice on how to keep a lawn weed-free using environmentally friendly practices.
It's not just a matter of replacing one spray with another, the company said.
While urban lawns and gardens account for a relatively small percentage of over-all chemical pesticide use, it's an important place to start, the wildlife federation's Langer said. Urban pesticide use is more intensive, acre for acre, than agricultural use and exposes more children to potentially harmful chemicals. And banning pesticides raises awareness of the larger problem, she said.
"It gets people thinking, `If I'm not using this on my lawn, then maybe I shouldn't be eating it in my food.'"
Well Mr. Helliker, Are you listening? People do not want your "registered" POISONS!
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten
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