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Digest No #89, 14th August 2009

  1. Has sustainable farming been ousted by GM at Melbourne Uni’s Food and Land department?
  2. Famine in America? – read the evidence and see what you think
  3. Events and info
  4. Fantastic films
  5. What MADGE is up to

1. Has sustainable farming been ousted by GM at Melbourne Uni’s Food and Land Department?

“Melbourne University’s School of Land and Environment, Australia's largest provider of sustainable-agriculture studies, will cut almost a third of its full-time teaching and research staff.” “Shocked staff said the school's focus on water management, fire ecology and food production was unique, and its reputation would be hamstrung by declining staff numbers.”

A strange way of tackling climate change and all the environmental threats we are facing.

Professor Rick Roush said that the job losses will be voluntary but it will be interesting to see what happens.

Professor Rick Roush’s profile on Spinwatch describes him as “a pro-GM activist who has left his mark on many e-mail lists, from several of which he has been banned or has 'retired' in the face of complaint.” It mentions his 2002 study claiming that unwanted GM gene transfer occurred at such low rates it was not a danger. He failed to disclose that two biotech corporations, Monsanto and Aventis Crop Sciences, paid nearly 20% of the costs of the trial.

Professor Rick Roush recently spoke, with Monsanto and the Australian Oilseeds Federation, in support of GM canola.

Furthermore Victoria recently signed a commitment to develop GM crops with Dow Agrosciences.

It is a shame that no one has realised that ordinary plant breeding is far more successful than GM breeding. In her letter to The Age, Gil Rosier sensibly suggests that Victoria bails out the sustainable agricultural research centre at Melbourne University. Professor Rick Roush also wrote a letter saying that there were not enough agricultural students to meet demand. Maybe he needs to support a few of the new “ninja” farmers, versatile, young and creative, as mentioned in item 2.

2. Famine in America? – read the evidence and see what you think

Erik Scott is a seed dealer and agronomist from South Dakota in the US. In this interview he states that a famine in the US is quite likely for two reasons:

  • Very narrow seed genetics
  • Dependence on imported nitrogen fertilizer

Erik explains that farmers in his area used to grow a wide variety of crops, saved and developed their own seed varieties. Now the main crops are corn and soy, both of these are genetically modified. These crops are grown for several reasons:

Limited genetics in seed – like the Irish potato famine.

A farmer may buy hybrid seeds from 5 different companies but the seeds can all be from the same genetic family. This is setting the US up for a similar disaster to the Irish potato famine of the 1840’s. The Irish grew the “lumper” variety of potato. They were all clones of each other. So when a fungal disease hit, the lumper potato harvest failed. The Andes, where potatoes originated, have 5000 varieties of potatoes. When disease or adverse weather conditions occur there, some potatoes varieties always survive. Famine is avoided by having diversity.

Nitrogen fertilizer

Crop rotation and animal manures were the traditional way to enrich the soil with nitrogen. Then the Haber Bosch process allowed inorganic nitrogen fertilizer to be produced. It is very energy intensive to manufacture but it allows the continuous growing of corn and soy on the same fields year after year. The US imports this nitrogen fertilizer and Erik Scott sees this dependence as equivalent to the US’s dependence on imported oil.

Does it matter?

Use of nitrogen fertilizer depletes the soil of the organic matter that stores water and gives it life . Dirt – the movie shows that we depend on this tiny layer of soil to purify and heal the systems that support us. In the last 100 years one third of our topsoil has been lost. 25% of greenhouse gas emissions are produced from our war on the soil. The fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals industrial farming uses kill soil life and release stored carbon from the soil, worsening climate change and reducing soil fertility.

Plants need healthy soil to grow. They use water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to make carbohydrates. They use their roots to trade the carbohydrates they’ve made for the nutrients they need from the soil. The soil is like a giant playground at lunch time – endless and intricate food swaps are going on all the time. If the soil is dead, plants can’t grow and we can’t eat.

Blight in the US

The importance of the whole agricultural system is playing out in an interesting way in the US this year. The same strain of fungus that caused the Irish potato famine is attacking tomato plants in North-eastern USA. It is being caused by:

  • Cool, wet weather
  • Home gardeners. There is a big increase in gardening and tomato seedlings for the big stores like Walmart were grown in vast industrial breeding operations where the fungus spread. Once planted in the home garden it can spread to neighbouring gardens and farms

What can be done?

  • Buy plants from local nurseries
  • Grow from seed
  • Understand we’re all part of the whole and what we grow affects others
  • Realise the importance of a variety of tomatoes, both heirloom and new varieties
  • Grow lots of different crops

One farmer “pulled out his late blight-infected tomato plants and replaced them with beans and an extra crop of Brussels sprouts for the fall. He won’t make the same profit as he would have from the tomato harvest, but he wasn’t complaining, either.

Sometimes giving in to nature can be the biggest victory of all.”

Ninja farmers to the rescue?

So maybe crop failure can be avoided by diverse crops and intelligent, responsible farming. Luckily it appears that in the US there is a new breed of young “ninja” farmers. They are “fluid, flexible, an activist and an entrepreneur.... "We're working against the odds. The educational system, the economic system, the subsidies, the tax structure for landowners," none of them are focused on helping tiny organic farmers.

Interestingly some of these new farmers are from Ivy League schools. “Farming actually is a good fit for many graduates, Philpott says. "There's very little to do for educated college graduates besides sit in a cubical and punch (a) computer all day," he says. "Small-scale farming is management-intensive. It's an incredibly intellectual exercise, but you're also getting your hands in the dirt — that's why it's so attractive. There's a hunger for that."

It would be interesting to compare this to the state of Australian farming.

3. Events and great newsletters

Films:

Tuesday 18th August, 6.30pm ‘Think Global Eat Local’, a film celebrating & exploring local food systems, using 15 years of footage over 15 countries. Supporting films: An Evening With Vandana Shiva, Food Sovereignty & Food Security, La Via Campesina, Global Food Crisis, Food Justice, The Trade Dictator at Friends of the Earth, 312 Smith St, Collingwood. Details.

Tuesday 25th August, “The World According to Monsanto” at Maroondah Civic Centre, Braeside Avenue, Ringwood. Entry is free but bookings essential: bdettethomas@gmail.com or 9687 8675.

Wednesday 26th August–“ESCAPE FROM SUBURBIA” Friends of Frankston Screenings 7.30pm Frankston. The Uniting Church Hall, 16, High St, Mel 100A A9 Free but donations welcome.

Conferences:

Sat 22 Aug – Sun 24 Aug NATIONAL FARMERS’ MARKETS CONFERENCE Presenting local and international speakers on: food security, managing change and diversification, market sustainability, accreditation, food trends, merchandising, marketing and more. Keynote speakers include Richard McCarthy, co-founder of Crescent City Farmers’ Market in New Orleans and Market Umbrella. Prog and reg: www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au Info: Simone Gordon Ph: 0421 458 891 or conference@vicfarmersmarkets.org.au

Excellent newsletters:

The Climate Action Calender – a weekly list of events around climate change and local food in Victoria- run by Monique Decortis. Email her at decortis@bigpond.net.au with “subscribe CAC” in the subject bar if you want to receive the calender.

From the Soil Up – Carolyn Ditchfield compiles a great weekly email packed with information on farming, soil and health. There are also links to many great courses and open days relevant for farmers. www.fromthesoilup.com.au.

Both these women are example of the massive efforts people are taking to try and make a positive change in the way we are living. Thanks to Monique and Carolyn (and everyone like them) for all their efforts.

GM Watch

GM watch has an excellent new site that covers the GM subject extensively. You can receive either a daily, weekly or monthly update of news. www.gmwatch.org

4. Fantastic Films

It seems that films are where complex and well researched explorations of our world are appearing. These films may or may not get a release in Australia. Watching the trailers is well worthwhile. Or you can buy the DVDs. MADGE will try to arrange showings of these films if they are not on general release. If you are interested in being part of these film nights please email info@madge.org.au.

Food

Dirt – the movie “We are dirt”. How soil supports life.

King Corn – “Everything on your plate is corn” The US diet is mainly corn and it is affecting everyone’s health and wellbeing.

Food Inc – shows the industrial food system in gut wrenching detail and provides sane alternatives.

Fresh – how to reinvent the food system

Water

Flow - "Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.

Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel." Especially relevant to Victoria where the State Government is pushing ahead with the largest public/private deal in the world to build a desalination plant.

Tapped – a film on bottled water: how it is virtually unregulated, may be polluted, is often just bottled tap water, is very energy intensive and a massive environmental problem.

Energy

The Fuel Film - how to repower our society. “People have been made to feel that they are not important, that they don’t count. In fact they are the only thing that counts.”

All these films are about the things we can’t live without: food, water and energy. All are under threat and it is wise to understand what is happening and the actions we can take.

5. What MADGE is up to

MADGE is busy this week writing a submission for the WA Review of the GM crops Free Areas Act 2003. Therefore this is a short, but hopefully interesting, digest. MADGE is also developing a campaign to help get GM out of our food. If you have any comments, suggestions or a desire to get involved please email us at info@madge.org.au

Happy eating,

love

MADGE