CFIA is holding an online consultation on a proposal to change the recently amended product of Canada guidelines that came into force on December 31, 2008. CFIA is now proposing to exempt specific ingredients which are difficult to find in Canada. The labelling guidelines were meant to provide more “truth in advertising” to Canadians, because prior to the change, any product that contained 51% Canadian value-added would have qualified. This meant that if beans were roasted in Canada, coffee could have been designated Canadian. Now, the government is finding that the claim has virtually disappeared from store shelves as processors find it difficult to make multi-ingredient products using [del canadian] sugar and other essential ingredients that are not readily available in Canada.
35 Million Hectares of Organic Agricultural Land World-wide
The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) have compiled the latest statistics about organic agriculture world-wide.
35 million hectares of agricultural land are certified according to organic standards (data as at the end of 2008). "Compared to the 2007 data, almost three million hectares more were reported," says Helga Willer of FiBL. "Growth was strongest in Latin America and Europe." There are almost 1.4 million organic producers.
The greatest share of the global organic surface area is in Oceania (34.7 percent), followed by Europe (23.4 percent) and Latin America (23 percent). With its vast grazing lands, Australia continues to account for the largest certified organic surface area, with 12 million hectares, followed by Argentina (4 million hectares), and China (1.9 million hectares). The global market for organic products reached a value of over 50 billion U.S. Dollars in 2008, with the vast majority of products being consumed in North America and Europe, according to Organic Monitor.
The ongoing debate on biotechnology crops in India took a new turn on Friday when American seed firm Monsanto disclosed that cotton pest--pink bollworm--has developed resistance to its much-touted Bt cotton variety in Gujarat.
The company has reported to the regulator, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), that pink bollworm has developed resistance to its genetically modified (GM) cotton variety, Bollgard I, in Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagarh and Rajkot districts in Gujarat. This was detected by the company during field monitoring in the 2009 cotton season.
Read Full Story - International Journal of Biological Sciences 09
Monsanto: Doubling the Doublespeak
Robert T. Fraley, PhD, Executive VP, Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto, gave one of the Topical Lecture Series at the AAAS Annual Meeting on February 21. It was titled Sustainable Solutions for Doubling Crop Productivity by 2030. Unlike the other presentations where the scientists were generally restrained both in their use of language and their conclusions, Fraley was on the extravagant side in his language about Monsanto's biotechnology: "unprecedented with new types of solutions", "new and different solutions", "interesting times", "exciting" and "fantastic", If there is a problem, Monsanto apparently is the solution (also apparently with no negative effect or downsides) including global food security, water availability, phosphorous pollution, climate change, biofuels, benefits and improving the lives of farmers around the world, proven economic and environmental benefits, a cycle of wealth, health benefits from an expansion of soy food ingredients in yoghurt and more, obesity and more.
Fraley spoke of a target to double yields of corn, canola and soybeans by 2030 (base 2000) and to reduce by 1/3 the inputs required per unit of output.
The US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-governmental group of scientists and citizens, distributed a press release asking that "Journalists covering Fraley's talk should probe his assertions." (see above article). In 2009, the group produced two reports and funded a third covering GM crops and pesticides, fertilizer use and yields. Just in terms of yield, an April 2009 report by UCS Senior scientist Doug Gurian-Sherman found that genetic engineering has had little impact on crop yields. Yields for both corn and soybeans have increased over the last 13 years but mostly due to traditional breeding or improvements in agricultural practices.
Excerpted from the Gallon Environment Letter 26/03/2010
To subscribe, email subscriptions@gallonletter.ca
Environment
Energy Use in the U.S. Food System
Energy is an important input in growing, processing, packaging, distributing, storing, preparing, serving, and disposing of food. Analysis using the two most recent U.S. benchmark input-output accounts and a national energy data system shows that in the United States, use of energy along the food chain for food purchases by or for U.S. households increased between 1997 and 2002 at more than six times the rate of increase in total domestic energy use. This increase in food-related energy flows is over 80 percent of energy flow increases nationwide over the period. The use of more energy-intensive technologies throughout the U.S. food system accounted for half of this increase, with the remainder attributed to population growth and higher real (inflation-adjusted) per capita food expenditures. A projection of food-related energy use based on 2007 total U.S. energy consumption and food expenditure data and the benchmark 2002 input-output accounts suggests that food-related energy use as a share of the national energy budget grew from 14.4 percent in 2002 to an estimated 15.7 percent in 2007.
A University of Guelph biologist has confirmed varroa mites caused the majority of the mysterious honeybee colony die-offs over the last couple of years.
Typically, beekeepers anticipate losing about 10 per cent of their hives over the winter months. In the past few years average losses have crept up.
About one-third of Ontario’s colonies died off in the winter of 2006-2007, with another third dying off the following winter. Some producers reported hive losses as high as 90 to 95 per cent and some beekeepers’ colonies were completely eliminated.
At the onset of his study, Ernesto Guzman, a professor at Guelph University’s School of Environmental Sciences, said there were about 10 different potential causes for the winterkill and that while none of them could be ruled out, his work would focus on the varroa mite and a newer microscopic parasite called Nosema fungus.
To undertake his study Guzman examined 408 commercial colonies in six southern Ontario counties.
In fall 2007, spring 2008 and early summer 2008, Guzman counted the number of bees in the colonies and weighed the colonies to gauge food reserves. He also tested the bees for varroa mites, tracheal mites and the Nosema fungus.
Guzman says his research study found that parasitic varroa mites were responsible for more than 85 per cent of the honeybee colony mortality in Ontario. He added too-sparse beehive populations in the fall and insufficient winter food reserves also played a role.
“We’re pretty sure we’ve solved a great deal of the mystery,” Guzman says. ...
Organic farming offers many benefits to pollinators but some common organic-approved pesticides and practices can be potentially just as harmful to bees and other pollinators as conventional farming systems.
For example, in the absence of readily available herbicides, some organic farms depend more heavily on tillage as a primary weed control strategy. This greater soil disturbance may be detrimental to ground-nesting bees.
By understanding native bee biology, nesting habits, and the toxicity of various organic-approved pesticides, farmers can effectively balance their crop management strategies with the needs of their resident pollinators.
To address this need, the Xerces Society has developed Organic Farming for Bees, a tool kit for organic growers that includes guidance on how to minimize disturbance to pollinators from farm activities, and on how to provide nest sites and foraging patches. In particular, two fact sheets provide information on toxicity to native pollinators for all major organic-approved insecticides and about pollinator-friendly organic farming practices. Both of these fact sheets are now available as downloadable pdf files:
Organic-approved pesticides: Minimizing risks to pollinators
An overview of all commonly available organic-approved pesticides, and suggestions for mitigating their impact on native bees.
Organic farming practices: Reducing harm to pollinators
Guidelines on how various organic farming practices can be balanced with the ecological needs of pollinators.
The full Organic Farming for Bees tool kit contains both of these fact sheets, as well as information about native bee biology, artificial nest management, and regional plant lists for pollinator habitat restoration. The companion publication Farming for Bees contains detailed guidance on identifying and creating pollinator habitat within a working agricultural landscape.
COG Durham Chapter Meeting - Grace Pasceri, Community Relations Manager at SkyPower, will speak to us about ‘Renewable Energy and Sustainability’.
April 28, 2010
Ottawa, ON: Organic Workshop: Organic Principles and All About Soil
- Organic Principles and All About Soil
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Learn secrets of organic gardening from master organic gardeners
- Grow healthy, organic veggies for you and your family • Learn to grow veggies in your own backyard or in a community garden
- Network with other gardeners and share experiences and tips
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Register for this individual workshop or for the whole series
When: 7:30-9:30 pm (two-hour workshop)
Cost: Residents of Ottawa $19 per workshop,
Nonresidents $23.75 per workshop, 10% discount for seniors (65 and over).
Fees subject to change by City of Ottawa. Registration: Sandy Hill Community Centre Telephone: 613-564-1062 (first come, first served)
Registration opens January 15, 2010 (winter workshops) and March 16, 2010 (spring workshops). Disabled persons are asked to indicate assistance needed at time of registration.
For more information, visit www.cog.ca/ottawa or call 613-244-4000. Courses sponsored by City of Ottawa and COG–Ottawa
August 27-29, 2010, World Organic Beekeeping Conference, Sunny Beach - Black Sea Coast Bulgaria
2010-08-27 to 2010-08-29
The World Beekeepers Association Apimondia is organising a First World Organic Beekeeping Conference in Bulgaria, 27-29 August 2010
Symposium topics
• Organic beekeeping legislation
• Certification procedures
• Organic beekeeping management
• Organic beekeeping marketing
• Organic beehive products
• Sustainable beekeeping in developing countries
For more information www.beekeeping.com/apimondia/index_us.htm
Contact: Stefan Bogdanov info@bee-hexagon.net
Alexander Georgiev, alex_honey@abv.bg
