OrganicAg News issue#12 4th April 2014
Well another month passes into history and we move to yet another harvest season to be followed by another restorative period leading to the formation season, and nature has been doing this for how long?
This continuum through all the millennia of time, adapting and continuing with change. This is surly the lesson we must all apply if the findings of the climate change report of the last week are even in part correct, adapt and do it now or be consigned to history.
Organic and biological systems are showing the ability to adapt with a wide diversity of plants supporting and been supported by a wide diversity of animals (large and mostly small and smaller) converting the inorganic (mineral) to organic, thus building resilience in the soils all life depends upon.
In the Waikato, where drought has a firm hold, nature is showing us the most important chemical input, and where there is active humus(at all stages of development) this input is held and available for longer than where the humus is missing, the evidence, such as it is, can be seen from great distance, as if nature is trying to slap us in the face with the lesson, it is not where the NPK has gone but where often only very small amounts of H2O are present. This may be a leak in farm reticulation or a gully with a small spring.
Anyway to the news of the week from near and far.
Report Analyzes Hawaii's Organic Food Industry
A new report from the Kohala Center, Growing Organics: Moving Hawaii's Organic Industry Forward, puts forth 58 recommendations to increase organic food production and distribution, improve access to technical assistance, promote producer and consumer education, reduce costs, and foster greater advocacy for certified organic food production in Hawaii.........................
http://northhawaiinews.com/sections/news/hawaii-organic-foods-industry-analysis-released.html
Organic solutions prove effective in livestock
A comparison of two herbal dry off treatments to conventional antibiotic or no treatment determined that herbal treatments are competitive with conventional therapy at dry off.
http://mysare.sare.org/mySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewRept&pn=GS10-094&y=2013&t=1
Switzerland—organic producer number growing.
Prof Urs Niggli a leading scientist from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Switzerland (FiBL), said proactive measures from the Swiss government have seen the number of producers steadily increase.
ASA rejects ad compliant: Organic dairy, 'naturally' different?
By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn, 27-Feb-2014
The UK Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has rejected complaints that an organic milk promotion was misleading in its implication that high-protein dairy cow diets were not natural.
http://www.dairyreporter.com/Markets/ASA-rejects-ad-compliant-Organic-dairy-naturally-different
Organic shakeup: EC proposals for stricter organic food laws aim to win back consumer trust
By Nathan Gray+, 26-Mar-2014
The European Commission (EC) has proposed new laws that will shake up the way organic foods are regulated, in a bid to address what it calls 'the shortcomings of the current system.'
Brazilian organic grower.
On average, chemical fertilisers and pesticides absorb 70 percent of the income of small farmers in Brazil, according to experts.............
http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/03/organic-farmers-fight-elements-brazil/
PGS (IFOAM's Participatory Guarantee Systems) update.
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) are locally focused quality assurance systems. They certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange.
for more general information on the PGS go to;
http://www.ifoam.org/en/value-chain/participatory-guarantee-systems-pgs
For the latest updates see below and link at base of the 3 trailers;
Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has many organic farmers, social enterprises, and responsible
businesses that are creating products and services
that are eco-friendly, socially responsible, and healthy. It also
has many well-educated consumers that want to feed their
families natural and organic food and choose products that
match their values.
Italy.
The project aimed to develop and launch
a Participatory Guarantee System in the DES1 of Como, Varese and Monza-Brianza in Lombardi
(Italy).
Fiji.
On the Western side of Fiji's main island,
twenty young farmers, including
five women, have been working
towards the organic certification of
papaya for both local and export
markets.
http://www.ifoam.org/sites/default/files/_pgs_jan-feb_2014.pdf
Heinz is latest target in new wave of false advertising lawsuits over 'all natural' claims and GMOs
By Elaine Watson+, 19-Mar-2014
Heinz has vowed to vigorously defend itself after becoming the latest food giant to be targeted in a false advertising lawsuit alleging it is misleading consumers by describing products made from GM crops as 'all-natural'.
Class action lawsuit v General Mills over all-natural claims and GMOs can proceed, says judge
By Elaine Watson+, 31-Mar-2014
A judge has refused to dismiss a class action lawsuit accusing General Mills of misleading consumers by marketing its Nature Valley products as 'all-natural' when they allegedly contain GMOs.
OrganicAg News issues relating to this general topic;
Issue 2; To be or not to be......Natural that is!
Issue 6; Natural? Organic? What's in a name?
http://www.organicag.co.nz/newsletters-press-releases
UK study show organic producers had higher per Hectare returns.
Aberystwyth University and the Organic Research Centre gathered Farm Business Survey data from 882 farms across England and Wales.
The organic farms in the sample were about 20 ha bigger than the conventional ones on average.
The headline results show the average farm business income across all farm types on a per hectare basis was better on organic farms between 2007 and 2012.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/02/04/2014/143987/organic-conversion-if-the-price-is-right.htm
Events.
Chaos Springs, organic mixed farm and compost operation,will screen on TV One 7 PM.– Country Calendar Saturday April 5th.
Go Green Expo.
April 4-6.
New Zealand's Premier Sustainability, Efficiency, Organics, Natural and Green Products & Services Expo
Discover exciting new choices at NZ's largest organic and sustainable living show
Learn, try and buy from selected, genuine eco-brands from start ups to thriving NZ businesseshttp://www.gogreenexpo.co.nz/
Organic Sector Forum; June 16-18 2014, Taupo.
The target audience is all current and intending organic primary producers and those that support them with inputs or services.
Andre Leu, Chair of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements is confirmed as the keynote speaker.
A range of Forum topics relating to 'outside the gate' organic primary production business will be covered while a range of 'inside the gate' trade displays will be present.
http://www.organicag.co.nz/
International year of the Family farm.
Jamie & Cathy Tait-Jamieson and family.
Certified organic since 1986, Biofarm is the second oldest commercial organic farm still operating and unique in the fact that it is still run by its original owners. Biofarm is also unique in that it produces both the raw material (milk) and the finished product on the one farm.
Directors Jamie and Cathy Tait-Jamieson first adopted biodynamic methods on the farm in 1980. The first yoghurt marketed under the Biofarm label was produced in 1986.
They Have picked up a number of business awards........................
http://www.maorifuturemakers.com/biofarm-products-limited
http://tewakakaiora.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/biofarm-is-hua-parakore/
https://www.facebook.com/BiofarmProductsNewZealand
Website of issue;
The Soil Association U.K.
The Soil Association was founded in 1946 by a group of farmers, scientists and nutritionists who observed a direct connection between farming practice and plant, animal, human and environmental health.
Today, we are the UK's leading membership................
http://www.soilassociation.org/aboutus/whoweare
and farmer grower support.
http://www.soilassociation.org/farmersgrowers
Quote of issue.
"Agricultural sustainability doesn't depend on agri-technology. To believe it does is to put the emphasis on the wrong bit of 'agriculture.' What sustainability depends on isn't agri- so much as culture."
- Raj Patel, academic, journalist, activist and author of The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy
Regards,
Bill Quinn,
Organic Promotions.
R.D.4 Paeroa. 3674.
www.organicag.co.nz
Organics'---integrity through transparency!
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