Saving
the planet with pesticides and plastic
This provocative plea for high yielding
agriculture makes convincing reading for some: it moved the president of the US
Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development to declare: "Few
concepts in recent years have so sharply reinforced my view of high-yield
agriculture ... It means we urgently need more ways to achieve high yields for
all the world's farmers."
While many of the facts marshalled are fascinating and
convincing, they are frequently no more than quotes chosen to make
environmentalists ('mythmakers') look foolish (sometimes), while Avery's
planet-savers espouse common sense ('reality says'). Assertion and
rhetorical questions consistently substitute for analysis: "How much longer
will the activists and vegetarians continue to pat themselves on the back for
coming up with failed strategies?"
There are occasionally puzzling examples, such as that of the
Machakos region of Kenya, where small scale farmers have successfully reduced
erosion and improved soil fertility and yields, while population has increased.
Avery's point is not clear, as the region has not used external inputs, but
has relied on labour and farmers' skills to develop solutions. Equally, in a
passing praise of IPM practices which were successful because they reduced or
eliminated pesticides, he notes that IPM need not be a means of eliminating,
"or even reducing" the use of pesticides.
Avery argues for an agriculture which makes "larger
investments in high-yield farming for the Third World", which are not being
made, he accuses, because "eco-activists have been crusading against the
high-yield seeds, the fertilisers, and (yes) the pesticides that will need to be
part of the high-yield packages." He does not address how the poor gain access
to this food; nor the gap between the rich and the poor, and between developed
and developing countries, which is widening. By and large the Avery's
propositions would reinforce this gap. Producing food in industrialised
countries to export to the third world already happens, and has undermined the
food security of many countries which swap their low-priced commodities for
high-priced imports of grain-making a net loss in the process.
He ignores the many efforts in developing countries which
promote sustainable agriculture, income and ecology in ways which enrich the
soil and increase yields. Many of these methods do not reject pesticide use out
of hand, but do emphasise local inputs, and increasing yields.
It is a pity Avery's ardour is so eclectic and partial; a
more reasoned book would have made an interesting contribution with perhaps some
common points of agreement, such as his passionate championing of the need to
finance agricultural research: the point where we differ is what kind, and for
whom?
Dennis T. Avery, Saving the planet with pesticides and plastic, Hudson Institute, Indianapolis, US, 1995, Tel. +1 800 876 8011, 430pp. Order the latest edition (600 pages, 31 January, 2002) direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Sustainable
development and agriculture
In contrast with 'Saving the Planet, etc.'
this UNDP guidebook critically surveys 40 years of agricultural policies,
analysing areas of real progress in meeting both human and ecological needs
through sustainable agriculture. It traces the history of the shift from a
narrow obsession with yield and productivity, to goals of poverty reduction, and
recognition of the need to integrate equity, gender issues, food security and
sustainability.
From the 1950-60s obsession with transferring industrial
technology to developing countries and unsuccessful top-down approaches, it
moves to the beginnings of the emphasis on farmer/rural people-centred,
participatory approaches, perhaps beginning with the 1979 World Conference on
Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and its 'peasant's charter', through
to the 1991 pre-Earth Summit meeting on agriculture, sustainable agriculture and
rural development (SARD), which has been broadly conceived to avoid trade-offs
between competing objectives.
Sustainable Human Development and
Agriculture, UN Development Programme, UNDP Guidebook Series, New York, US,
1994, Fax +1 212 906 6947, 9pp.
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Society
and sustainable agriculture
Two recent publications provide a useful context
for those interested in pesticide issues and sustainable agriculture.
The social effects of globalisation was produced by the UN
Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) for the World Summit for
Social Development held in Copenhagen earlier this year. Its aim is to look at
the processes and politics of globalisation, and the social costs of structural
adjustment, and it provides solid analysis, and authoritative reference source,
on the problems to which solutions must urgently be found: problems such as
uneven agricultural development, inequitable land distribution, and lack of
rural infrastructure.
Looking to a future sustainable world, a new publication from
the US based World Resources Institute provides a fascinating collection of
interviews and essays providing their views on what sustainability would really
mean. All continents are represented, and among the countries included, are
views from Inner Mongolia, Togo, Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Philippines, Brazil and
Fiji. Sustainable agriculture is a common theme among the contributors.
States of Disarray: The social effects of
globalisation, UNRISD, 1995, available from Kogan Page/Earthscan, London, UK,
Fax +44 171 837 6348, 172pp. Order
direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Tanvi Nagpal and Camilla Foltz (eds.), Choosing our Future: visions of a
sustainable world, World Resources Institute, Washington, US, 1995, Tel. +1 800
822 0504, 160pp. Order
direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Poisonous
by design
Marion Moses, an independent pesticide
safety campaigner from California has produced Designer Poisons, to help the
public choose methods of safe pest control in the home environment. The book has
a US perspective, but many of the issues are applicable internationally.
Pesticides are described in a simple way. Acute symptoms are
outlined: you are even told how to relate a suspected health-related problem to
your doctor. The longest chapter is devoted to the issue of long-term health
effects and pesticides, including cancer, reproductive effects and effects on
the brain and nervous system. There is special emphasis on cancer in children
related to their parents' use of pesticides in and around the home.
A pronunciation guide includes phonetic suggestions for about
150 pesticides and related chemicals. This is a good start, although there are
many more pesticides on the market.
Overall, the reference material will certainly be an aid to
the Pesticides Trust [now PAN UK] help line which receives many calls from concerned members
of the public.
Marion Moses, Designer poisons: how to protect your health and home from toxic pesticides, Pesticides Education Center, PO Box 420870 San Francisco, CA 94142-0870, US, Tel. +1 415 391 8511, Fax +1 415 391 9159, email pec@igc.apc.org, 1995, 413pp.
How
to research a chemical
Environmental Research Foundation in the US has
published a citizens guide to toxic chemicals, or more precisely, how to
research them. It includes descriptions and details of books and other useful
resources, such as low-cost on-line databases, plus information on organisations
that can help search for information. The information referred to will mostly be
applicable internationally, but, of course, will not be as accessible. There are
over 70,000 chemicals in commercial use and this publication helps to answer
questions such as: what are the components of the chemical; what are the known
health effects to humans, plants and animals; and what kind of studies have been
done on it.
How to research chemicals: a resource
guide, Environmental Research Foundation, PO Box, 5036, Annapolis, MD
21403-7036, US, Tel. +1 410 263 1584, Fax +1 410 263 8944 email
erf@rachel.clark.net, 50pp.
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Water costs
This book aims to persuade industry to do more
about reducing the consumption of water. The author John Hills sets out the
overwhelming arguments in favour of 'good housekeeping', and explains how
the UK water utilities and regulators do their job. Although the book does not
dwell specifically on pesticides, it does explain simply and clearly how the
industry works.
John Hills, Cutting water and effluent costs, Institution of Chemical Engineers, Davis Building, 165-189 Railway Terrace, Rugby, UK, Tel. (0)1788 578214, Fax (0)1788 560833, 157pp. Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
OPs and BSE
link
Dairy farmer Mark Purdey has struggled for years
to encourage UK officials, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries
and Food (MAFF), to investigate a possible link between exposure to OPs and
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). In a programme screened by Channel 4
Television, his painstaking research and observations, now taken seriously by
many farmers and scientists, were made accessible to millions of viewers.
He has observed a link through a reaction between the feeding of animal protein
fed to ruminants, and the use of OPs to treat warble fly in cattle. MAFF
believes the cause to be the feeding of animal protein derived from
scrapie-infected sheep.
Confirmed cases of BSE-infected cattle in the UK was 146,926
in April 1995, far more than predicted and by far the highest in the world. The
second highest is Switzerland with 98 recorded cases, and there have been none
in the US. To date, MAFF has resisted requests to carry out the scientific
studies needed to test the theory.
Frontline,
Channel 4, September 1995.
Sir James
responds
A fascinating indictment of unlicensed global free
trade, not least because it is written by one of the world's most successful
capitalists. Sir James Goldsmith's recent book, The Trap, attracted a range of
critics: including the European Commission, politicians, academics and
journalists. The Response is convincingly argued and liberally illustrated with
examples and statistics and is an essential read for those following the free
trade v. protectionism debate.
Sir James Goldsmith, The Response: GATT and Global Free Trade, Macmillan, London, 1995, pp. 203.
Pesticide
list
This quick and basic guide to crop protection
products and active ingredients worldwide includes more than 15,000 current and
suspended trade names and over 900 current and suspended active ingredients. The
entries are cross-referenced to The Pesticide Manual which provides more
detailed data about the pesticide active ingredients. Names of companies
marketing pesticides worldwide are provided.
The Pesticide Index, Third Edition,
British Crop Protection Council and Royal Society of Chemistry, Crop Protection
Publications, Bear Farm, Binfield, Bracknell, Berks, RG42 5QE, Tel. +44 (0)1734
342727, Fax +44 (0)1734 341998, 1995, 250pp.
Environmental
fate
Proceedings of an international workshop which
addressed pesticides in relation to environmental fate, covering : the role of
international organisations; the mobility and transformations of pesticides; the
monitoring of outdoor experiments and 'real' experiments; and the importance of
mathematical models.
Environmental behaviour of pesticides and regulatory aspects, symposium sponsored by the European Commission, Brussels 26-29 April, 1994, European Study Service, Ave. Paola 43, B-1330 Rixensart, Belgium, 513pp. Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Methyl
bromide - finding solutions
Two new books advance the potential for phasing
out methyl bromide. California is a major user of methyl bromide in the
US. With a phase out due by 2001, the Department of Pesticide Regulation in
California established a Task Force of community groups, applicators, academic
researchers, government agencies and environmentalists. The Task Force found
that many of California's research needs are met, but there is no
'comprehensive vision' or delivery of specific results. It requested that pilot
demonstration projects in different regions of the State to seed innovative pest
management and help the State play a critical role in the search for
alternatives.
A World Health Organisation (WHO) Task Force of experts has
assessed the health and environmental impact of methyl bromide. The world
consumption was 67 million kg in 1990, an increase of 46% since 1984. No more
recent data is given. About 77% of the methyl bromide produced is used for soil
fumigation, 12% for quarantine and commodity fumigation, 5% for structural
fumigation and 6% for chemical intermediates. The WHO Task Force considers
methyl bromide does not pose a significant risk for the general population,
although it acknowledges it is a very toxic substance. Methyl bromide has been
found to be mutagenic in several test systems, including cultured mammalian
cells.
The Task Force recommends that emissions of methyl bromide
from man-made sources should be much reduced. It identified a need to study the
toxic mechanisms of methyl bromide and to carry out a human epidemiological
study. The effects of methyl bromide in the depletion of the ozone layer are not
yet entirely understood.
Alternatives to methyl bromide: research
needs for California, report of the Methyl Bromide Research Task Force,
California Dept. of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N Street, Room 108, Sacramento,
CA 98514, US September 1995.
Methyl bromide Environmental Health Criteria, No. 166, WHO, 1211 Geneva 27,
Switzerland, 1995, 324pp.
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The
fourth blueprint
Actions and policy directions are needed now to
improve the global environment. Blueprint 4, continues the theme of the series,
explaining opportunities for using market forces for environmental ends. The
book reviews the principal global issues to be addressed: management of the
commons, climate change, the ozone layer and biodiversity. It explains
mechanisms of resource degradation; how economic systems fail; trade on the
environment; and the effects of population growth, poverty and over consumption.
Finally, the author shows how environmental value can be 'captured' and
describes the basis, the means and the institutions for doing so.
David Pearce, Blueprint 4: capturing global environmental value, Earthscan Publications, 120 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JN, Tel. (0)171 278 0433, Fax (0)171 278 1142, 1995, 212pp. Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Post-harvest
pesticides
This Japanese video highlights the dangers in
pesticides used after harvest to extend storage and shelf life and prevent
blemishes. It provides chilling visual evidence of the extent of treatment, and
in some cases indifference to worker health and safety. Among the instances
captured 'on screen', is treatment of apples in Washington with
thiabendazole; pineapples treated with triadimefon (banned in California) and
bananas treated with benomyl in Mindanao, Philippines; use of benomyl and
chlorpyriphos in Costa Rica; wax and fungicide spraying on Californian oranges,
rejects of which are used for juice-skin and all.
Danger of Post-Harvest Pesticides, VHS, 26 minutes, colour, Japan Offspring Fund, Ko-jimachi 2-7-3-202, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102, Japan, Tel./Fax +81 3 5276 0259, Free.
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Order the latest edition (288 pages, 29 March, 2002) direct from Amazon.co.uk. |
Natural
gardens
This book is educational, informative and a work
of art. Its opening section provides a clear and concise lesson in ecology, an
understanding of which must form the basis of any gardener's relationship with
nature. A history of gardening focuses on planning a natural garden within the
constraints of time, space and environmental conditions. The book discusses the
Gaia theory and details the techniques of natural gardening. As for
pesticides, the book repeats the advice not to use them. The Natural Garden Book
is liberally illustrated with useful clear drawings and exquisite photographs.
This richly produced volume is a rare combination of an attractive book which
contains useful information.
Peter Harper with Jeremy Light and Chris Madsen, The Natural Garden Book, Gaia Books, 20 High Street, Stroud, Glos, GL5 1AS, 1995, 287pp. Order the latest edition (288 pages, 29 March, 2002) direct from Amazon.co.uk.
The
latest on locusts
Four new books will keep locust followers
abreast of developments:
New Trends in Locust Control: Papers from the GTZ research programme covering botanical pesticides, pheromones, juvenile hormones, and pathogenic micro-organisms. It examines methods of assessing crop losses from locusts. S. Krall and H. Wilps, (eds), GTZ, Eschborn, Germany, 1994, 182pp.
Desert Locust Control Operations and their Environmental Impacts: A NRI review of the options, including environmental impacts with policy recommendations. J.M Ritchie and H. Dobson, Bulletin 67, Natural Resources Institute, Chatham, 1995, 42pp. Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Desert Locust Control With Existing Techniques: An Evaluation of Strategies: Concern with the lack of efficacy of current strategies was echoed in this seminar. A. van Huis (Ed), (Proceedings), December 6-11 1993, Wageningen Agricultural University, Netherlands, 1994.
Desert Locust Management: a recent World Bank discussion paper. Steen R. Joffe, 1995, Discussion Paper No. 284, World Bank, Washington DC, 58pp.
[This
article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 30,
December 1995, pages 22-23]