FYI, for those of you interested in the environment, and especially how pesticides may relate to various diseases, including PD: ***************** --------------------- Forwarded message: From: [log in to unmask] (PANNA InfoPubs) To: [log in to unmask] (Recipients of conference) Date: 96-09-24 00:31:32 EDT ===================================== P A N U P S *** Pesticide Action Network North America Updates Service http://www.panna.org/panna/ ===================================== September 23, 1996 Copenhagen Declaration: Global Food Security Requires Organic Agriculture More than 1000 farmers, scientists, government officials and others from 92 countries convened this August in Copenhagen for the 11th Scientific Conference of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). The Conference stressed that organic practices are viable worldwide, and issued a statement demanding that organic agriculture be prioritized as a strategy for creating global food security. IFOAM represents 530 farmer, food security and consumer organizations worldwide. The conference's "Copenhagen Declaration" criticized the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for failing to adequately emphasize the importance of food quality and safety, local food self-reliance and environmental protection in planning for the upcoming World Food Summit in Rome. In addition, it stated that FAO has neglected the importance to food security of access to resources, equitable land tenure and women's rights. FAO is sponsoring the World Food Summit this November to determine international strategies for reducing hunger and undernutrition. FAO estimates that there are approximately 800 million undernourished people worldwide. The Declaration asserts that organic agriculture can produce sufficient, high quality food to ensure long term food security while protecting both human health and the environment. Signatories to the Declaration urged FAO to set local, regional and national food self-sufficiency as its goals, and to draw on IFOAM's organic production expertise in reaching these goals. In press releases, IFOAM stated that, in developing countries where food has not been intensively produced with high input, industrial agriculture techniques, training farmers in organic practices can increase yields 200-300% over previous levels. However, IFOAM pointed out that poverty and unequal purchasing power are the true causes of food insecurity. According to IFOAM, because of demand for meat by affluent people, more grain is produced for cattle and pigs than for humans despite widespread hunger and malnutrition. IFOAM criticized FAO's approach to food security for stressing increased production, which generally means increased pesticide use and reliance on expensive, high technology solutions like biotechnology, rather than improved distribution. Signatories to the Copenhagen Declaration expressed fear that the "failure of the Green Revolution will be repeated by promoting an even more destructive gene- revolution." The Copenhagen conference also gave participants an opportunity to learn about the success of organic agriculture in some countries. For example, organic agriculture in Sweden is on track to reach 10% of the nation's total agricultural production in the next two years. In addition, the Danish Minister for Environment called on his government to achieve organic production levels at 15-20% of agricultural production within four years. Demonstrating the inroads that organic farming has made in developing countries, the newly established Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD)-Mallinckrodt Prize was awarded to three groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The recipients included the Kenyan Institute of Organic Farming, the Cuban Organic Farming Association and Agricultural Renewal in India for a Sustainable Environment. The SARD-Mallinckrodt Prize disburses US$10,000 among groups and/or individuals who advance agroecological practices, foster equitable development and have documentable impacts on national policy. Sources: "Is Organic Agriculture a Real Solution for Global Food Security," IFOAM Press Release, September 4, 1996; "Is Organic Agriculture a Possible Solution to World Hunger?" Herve la Prairie, IFOAM, May 2, 1996. Contact: IFOAM, General-Secretariat, c/o Okozentrum Imsbach, D-66636, Tholey-Theley, Germany; phone (49) 6853-5190; fax (49) 6853-30110; email [log in to unmask]; http://login.dknet.dk/~ifoam96/ =========================================================== | Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) | | | | Phone:(415) 541-9140 Fax:(415) 541-9253 | | Email: [log in to unmask] http://www.panna.org/panna/| | PANNA, 116 New Montgomery, #810, San Francisco, CA 94105 | | | |*To subscribe to PANUPS send email to [log in to unmask] | with the following text on one line: subscribe panups | | To unsubscribe send the following: unsubscribe panups | | | |*For basic information about PANNA, send an email message | | to [log in to unmask] | ===========================================================