FYI, for those of you interested in the environment, and especially how
pesticides may relate to various diseases, including PD:
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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
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P A N U P S
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Pesticide Action Network
North America
Updates Service
http://www.panna.org/panna/
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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/
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