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Re: organic standards not strong enough



Within the European Union (EU) it is compulsory for all to follow EU
ecological rules if they call the product anything that may be associated
with ecological farming. I believe this is something like what USDA is
trying to do with eco farming in the USA, and I am sure there is a
connection. You may do a net search on Global Union, Commission on Foreign
Relations or New World Order to find out more. What happens to us in Sweden
is that some EU rules are stricter than the national standard and the IFOAM
standards, for example requiring only ecologically grown seeds - even
though the market for ecologically grown seeds is very small and very bad
functioning. They set a fix date for no more exeptions without real
knowledge and it is extremely difficult to change these dates. Another
example is the threat of rules for compulsory loose housing for ecological
dairy production. Only a farm with at least 60 dairy cows can afford this
investment (under Swedish conditions). The mere threat of this development
prevents smaller farms to go over to eco production. They let it run down,
invest in expansion and thereby leave the sound balance between animals and
farm land or quit altogether. It creates a terrible lot of work. Having a
bureaucratic and very formalistic overstate to govern a development process
is a very big trouble. We cannot get away since EU has a subvention system
that keeps farm product prices down at a level where only very big farmers
can produce anything. I think the whole meaning of the system is to open an
export market for the very big cereal growers and for food industry. There
is a real risk that these forces take over the right to use the word
"ecological" or "organic". Therefore I think the IFOAM rules should be
revised with help from CSA development competence. It is possible to write
strict rules in a way that promotes development. The key is to go out from
that the farm should try to be as self sustaining on fodder and manure as
possible and that food production should be as much local as possible. I
think it is important to help IFOAM with this, and I think CSA development
plays an important role. CSA development in Europe is badly needed. I am
trying to promote it in Sweden in my role as biodynamic consultant, but it
is very slow.

Hans von Essen

At 18.38 98-12-30, DGreen47@aol.com wrote:
>This is exactly why I encourage people to join a CSA or an alliance of CSAs
>and get to know their farmers and how their food is grown, rather than relying
>on some review board who might have the consumer's and farmer's and
>environment's best interests on their agenda -- or who might not.
>
>Dori Green
>formerly certified organic farmer and former state-wide organic farm
>certification board member now wrestling with the decision whether or not to
>re-certify this year -- probably won't.
>
>Ash Grove Community Farm & Center for Sustainable Living
>Corning, NY
>
>http://www.agrove.com